Nate's Blog...

Proverbs

2010-03-31T09:58:00.001-07:00

Man I was reading or actualy listening to an audio bible today in proverbs and a verse said something to the effect of... Wise man will listen and try to understand but a fool will atempt to be heard... Wow such true words. I think often times we think we are so much Better Than others that we speak expecting others to learn from us but forget that we have something to learn from them. God please keep me humble enough to learn somthing from everything and everyone you send my way.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Encouragement

2009-10-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

Life can be confusing some times, and often we are left wondering what do we do. Here is a verse that I found in my daily reading that has encouraged me a lot this week:

Exodus 31 -Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts.

This was just a huge reminder that God has a plan for my life and that He has given me gifts talents and abilities for a purpose and I need to trust and obey Him and He will show me what I need to be doing and how I can best use the gifts He has given me to bring glory to Him. Hopefully this encourages your heart as well, God has a purpose for you and He wants to use you to bring Glory to his name.

Waiting

2009-10-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Last night at student ministry we talked about Prayer, one of the things that is hardest to except about prayer is that some times God says no to your request or sometimes he says wait. I think waiting can be one of the most challenging things to do, I mean who likes to wait for anything nowadays that’s why we created the internet, email, cable news, cell phones, fast food joints, and convenience stores. But last night I was challenged that when God tells me to wait it is doing two things, first off it is growing me spiritually and second off it is teaching me to rely on the Lord moment by moment. Sometimes it’s not comfortable, but if you trust in the lord he will give you strength you will mount up on wings like eagles you will run and not grow tired, you will walk and not become faint.

Tired

2009-07-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had those times in your life when your just exhausted? Mentally, fiscally, emotionally? That's about where I'm at right now, but the Lord is still active and real, and he cares about us. Rebbecca Ready spoke at youth to day and she did a great job reminding everyone that God will never give us more than we can handle and that he will sustain us.
Quick story, Randomly was driving home from downtown Columbia and saw a Billiards store. I decided to stop in on a whim and see what there prices were like. I had been looking at some new stuff for the youth room but it was going to run us like 1000 dollars. I told the guy what we were trying to do and he responded by telling me that he wanted to donate everything we needed so that we didn't have to pay a penny. Wow even when we are tired God is always there. That was Gods little reminder that he cares.

Summer

2009-07-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

So it has been months and months since my last blog so I figured i'd catch you up on the summer. It has been fast and furious, crazy and exciting, fun but exciting. The summer started of the second most important day of my life, my wedding. The wedding was amazing fun but stressful at the same time, it was so cool seeing so many people from my past all at the same place at the same time. There were friends and family from Texas, Florida, Virginia, Arizona, and a few more states as well, it was incredible. After that I took my beautiful bride to Jamaica for our honey moon. We got back and immediately started the construction and preparation for day camp. Being that this was the first year it took a lot of prep work. The next week was day camp and there were little chillions running around from 8 in the morning till 6 at night. (i have decided i want to wait a long long time before i have a kid). The week after that was summer camp. Summer camp was great, rush of fools was the band and rob turner was the speaker both were excellent, but the week was exhausting. I got back and found out that I was in charge of running a VBS for a church across town in one week. So the week after camp was prep for VBS and then of course there was the week of VBS. as soon as that ended we started on the week of the all-nighter. And O my goodness it was amazing, but staying up all night, Friday night and having to preach two times on Sunday is rather difficult. Any ways it is a new week and things look like they are going to settle down a little, but I must say it has been one hectic summer.

Lord you are good and your mercy endures forever

2009-03-09T06:47:00.001-07:00

Wow, God is amazing, they say He is alive and working, they say that He is interested and involved in our lives, but some times its hard to see. I must say that I am amazed though, how God has showed his presence In the student ministry here at Friend Church. It is truly amazing to see people saved, lives changes and hearts moved. God has been blessing and I am one of the fortunate ones that God has allowed to be apart of this. What is the “this” that I’m talking about? It’s the future, the present the past, it’s the excitement, the life change, the over whelming joy of a ministry that is being blessed by God. You see God has blessed me so much lately and one of the biggest blessings in my life is (blessed Jeanie) the student ministry here at Friend Church. Many people try their whole lives to be somewhere where God is moving and make himself known. Where Christianity is not a stagnant religion, but where it is a vibrant relationship that changes people in a unique way when they come into contact with it, with Him. This past week I have seen people Saved from a mediocre life that leads to a spiritual death, and given a life full of meaning and purpose, which will lead to life everlasting. Many of these people don’t know what it means to have this meaningful life, but I am so thankful that God has placed me here so that I can lead, guide, direct, and above all, walk beside them on their path of spiritual birth and renewal. Thank you lord for giving me this opportunity to make a difference. Now please give me the power to follow through.

I WIN

2009-02-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

Holy bajeebers I win, I was told that in order to be ordained I would have to beat greg in ping pong. I said bring it and Greg brought it, point after point we were neck and neck spiraling our way upward toward the fateful number 21. Finally with stubborn determination I pulled ahead and beat the master at his own game...O what a glorious day. I can be ordained.

Death to stereotypes

2009-02-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

I enjoy playing ping pong, BUT IT STINKS ALWAYS LOOSING. Lol but I guess that’s how we all feel sometimes, we try and we try but we just keep loosing. It’s especially hard because I’m incredibly competitive. One of these days I will rise up out of this stereotype “bad ping pong player” and take on the masters (Greg, Kevin, and Bob)…I WILL BE VICTORIOUS.

Tired

2009-01-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

I have been at friend church 2 weeks now, I am exhausted but at the same time energized I love my job, the people i work with and the people i get the serve with, but most of all i count it a blessing to be able to serve my Lord Jesus Christ.

The truth is though that im human just like the rest of you, and I need to start pacing myself a little better, i feel like im in a sprint, but there is no finish line...lol...

that was pretty much puke on a page, just some of my real feeling and thoughts. ill end this post simply by saying that back in November i preached a sermon and i talked about being blessed, and what that truly means at that time i new i was blessed, but i did not feel or see blessings in my life. I prayed that God would change that and bless me...today i can truly say i have been blessed i look around me and i Have an incredible job, an amazing fiance, and an awesome God.

Randome thoughts,

2008-12-19T15:19:00.000-08:00

What do you call the caffeinated drink family? Some call it pop (crazy Canadians) as you get further south some call it soda, and being from Texas we call it Coke. But, you ask what if its sprite, or Dr pepper, or maybe even Mountain Dew... IT DOESENT MATTER ITS ALL CALLED COKE...just thought you should know how i feel about it. But no matter how much i explain it i always end up going up to a restraint counter and saying "can i have a cup for coke" and almost with out fail they will say "sorry we don't have coke, we have Pepsi." Errrrrrrr...there's my rant for the day. And for all you people out there who call those caffeinated, deadly, syrup filled, addicting, bone decalciumizing, wonderfully tasteful, drinks pop, well... i just don't know how i feel about that. I guess I'd say what ever pickles your cucumber. But as for me and my house, we will call it by its true name....the one...the only....COKE. Spelled...C-O-K-E

Jazz

2008-12-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

I was ridding in my car the other day on the way down to Friend Church and i was listing to Jazz music, no words, just pure Jazz. Jeanie (my fiance) was like "are you seriously going to listen to this" (she is a country music lover). I then tried to explain why i loved jazz. As i am writing this I am actualy sitting in Panera Bread listing to more jazz. I tried to tell Jeanie that i love jazz so much because of its seemingly unrhythmic rhythm. There are plenty of professional musicians who I'm sure would argue that jazz is not unrhythmic, and to an extent they are right. You see jazz has a rithim at its cour, my old music instructor used to say, "rythim is sacred, you must have rythm first" and Jazz does have rythim but it also has randome free notes that are bouned only by the lack of imagination, and key signitures.

I think the reasion i like jazz so much is because it is ordered freedom. it has order at its cour (the rythim) but it has freedom of expression that caries your emotions and your thoughts further than most music does. It can be relazing, but it can also be intence.

My junior year in highschool I wrote a 15 page paper on music and its efects on mans emotions. I found out while resercing for it that the greeks actualy had a manuscript that explained what notes needed to be played in what order inorder to envoke certin emotions from the listers. I also heard the other day that a study was done on music and its phisical efects on the human body. come to find out if you listen to music that you enjoy, your blod vains expand and there is an increase in blood flow, if you listen to music that is distressing, or antaginizing then your blood vains contract slowing the blood flow in your body. This simply means it is healthy for you to listen to enjoyable music.

I say all this simply to say that I love jazz. It is randomly orderly, and a beutiful creation of God. I do marval some times how music can efect people in ways that words never can.

The truth is that somthing so amazing and so cretive, but still so orderly could only have been created by one thing, God.

Back in time

2008-12-16T14:38:00.002-08:00

Hello World!

Seeing that this is my first time blogging and I don't have a lot to say at this moment, I figure I will post some thoughts I wrote a few months ago.

8/7/2008 11:46pm

What is God’s Plan? Because of recent events that have happened in my life I have started asking myself this question once again. It seems odd to me that we only ask this question when our plans are interrupted. But let me ask you, the reader a question. When was the last time you didn't have a plan for your life and you were ok with it? It seems like God gave us this need and desire to plan, but when our plans are interrupted by circumstances we grind to a halt not knowing where to turn or what to do. Here is an excerpt from an email I sent when my plans came jolting to a halt.

Before I went to college I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff about to jump off into the dark abyss below, since then I feel like I have been climbing down the sheer rock wall and now and again I slip and fall a bit. But I have always been able to pick myself up and keep on going. I feel like this time I am still falling, dreading the moment when I hit the bottom and my lifeless body is shattered by the jagged rocks below. My stomach is sick from falling, and my mind is weak from trying to find a safety net in the darkness.

This is the feeling we all have when our plans collapse around us. We feel lost, frightened, lonely, scared, and hurt. So what do we do about it? It’s simple, turn to the Lord for strength, and insight. (I know you thinking, "What a church answer" but just listen for a sec) who is the creator...God. Who is omnipresent (everywhere all the time)...God. Who is omniscient (all knowing)...God. Who is omnipotent (all powerful)...God. Wow I sure feel like an idiot. Since when did I start thinking that I could come up with a better plan than God's? At what point did I start leaving God at church and start taking control of my own life? You see in the convoluted rendition of Christianity that most people practice today, it’s ok to do exactly that. Leave Christ at church and only use him when you need him. But I have a revolutionary idea for you. What if we stop letting other people set the example, even better yet what if we let Christ set the example? You see, before Jesus died on the cross for our sins he spent hours in the Garden of Gethsemane praying that, "this cup pass from me." Essentially Jesus was praying to the Father that the plan be changed so He did not have to suffer the pain He knew was coming. He was so stressed about Gods plan that he was literally sweating blood. But, yet in the end he gave Himself willingly for our sins, submitting Himself to His Father’s plan. Man, if we started living like that, and submitting to God's plan to the extent that we would be willing to die, what a difference we would make in this world. My prayer is that God will take this time in my life to teach me how to seek his plan. I have decided to follow Jesus, there will be no turning back...are you with me?

Shut Up and Listen

2008-12-16T14:38:00.001-08:00

11/30/08

I Just had the opurtunity to speak at a D-now and i have uploaded the Vid to God tube. Check it out, the title is Shut up and Listen. Its on the life of Job and talkes about how we need to be selfless.