I'm Tired, and I'm Trying... (what's up lately)

Well i guess it's about time for another update ;) I've been meaning to post for the past week or so now. Just never seem to do it :P

I haven't been up to a whole lot of new things here lately. I'm just getting tired of living the same old sinful, lazy, dull, boring, mundane life that I am. I'm want to do something, and do something great. I want to be somebody. Someone important. Someone who made a difference in this world. Someone who can look back on his life during his last days and say, it was all worth it, it was a life well lived. I'm tired of just being lazy when I don't have to go to work, just laying around messing on the computer, playing mindless games on the computer, etc.

There's a lot of stuff I would like to do in this life before I die (or Jesus comes back :P ). I want my life to be well spent. The older I get the faster time is flying by. I can't get over how short life really is. It's been driving me crazy. So I'm doing my best to try and do the things I want to do, need to do, and am called to do.

One of the things most people don't know about me is I love to cook, not all the time, but most of the time. If I could I think I would go to a culinary school to be a chef. Or I would really like to open my own southern cooking restaurant, or any restaurant really. But since that's probably not gonna happen, or not in the foreseeable future (could happen if I set my mind to it, maybe one day, idk we'll see). So I've decided to try and cook a lot more at home. I've cooked a few things the past month or so, but I want to do it more often. I've grilled out a couple times these past few weeks which was nice, definitely looking forward to warmer weather so I can do a lot more of it!

Today I made some 'pizza bread' in the bread maker we got for Christmas (Thanks Mom & Dad!! ^_^). It doesn't really taste like pizza, but it would go great with spaghetti or Alfredo, or anything Italian really. And I also made some homemade fries for the first time (been wanting to for a while). They turned out pretty good. I decided to bake them, but I think I'll try frying them next time. I made some with only salt and pepper, but I liked the ones I spiced up a bit ;) I put some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and paprika on half of them and they tasted really good!!! Gonna up the dosage next time :P Oh and if you bake some homemade fries, grease the pan, even non-stick :P learned that one the hard way. I'll try to post what I cook with pictures, and possibly the recipe for everyone to read and see so if y'all want to try them you can! (I think I'll also do the same for projects I do and other things I make)

Another thing that most people don't know is that I have a heart for helping the poor and kids. I have always wanted to help the less fortunate (for as long as I can remember anyways). I'm sponsoring a child, well really another teen, not much younger than me through Compassion International. Her name is Andri, she's in Indonesia. I like being able to write letters to each other and hear about what's going on in her life. That's one thing I'd like to and need to do more, is write her more letters. She's planning to go to college to be a nurse which I think is awesome! So I love being able to contribute and help her! It's only $38 a month, which is only a small sacrifice, but it's something I can afford. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to sponsor more children!

I'm also hoping and planning to do more. There's a orphanage in Mexico called Rancho 3M that our church does mission trips to several times a year, so I would Love to go one time, and if I feel it's what God wants, go more. I've actually been wanting to go on missions trips for a while now, just never had the means, time or resources to do it. So hopefully soon! My wife and I also feel really strongly about adoption, which is something we've both wanted to do for as far back as we can remember. We aren't adopting right now, but we want to. So we've been looking into international adoption, there are so many rules and things though, so not sure how soon we'll be adopting anyone, but hopefully in the near future (next 5 years?). And my wife and I also feel strongly about fighting abortion. There are some women in our church who run an organization who help young women who are considering having an abortion. So my wife and I might try to get involved and help with that. She'll probably do more though, seeing as I'm a guy and it would probably be awkward for a lot of people :P

Work has been going pretty good. I've made it a point to do better this year. I'm thinking about it in a new way, and going about how I handle calls and everything a little different to try and keep from getting stressed a lot, like I did last year. It's still a pretty new job, but I think I'm starting to settle in. So hopefully I'll be good from here on out.

Another thing I need to work on is my spiritual life. It's been suffering for a while now. My wife and I decided we feel we need to stay at the church we are now, so I'm glad we have that figured out now. So now like I said in an earlier post, I'm making it a point this year (and the rest of my life) to go to church every Sunday I can (meaning I don't have to work, not taking vacation, etc.). My wife and I have missed quite a bit of church since we got married and have suffered because of it. And I also need to start reading my Bible regularly, I don't remember when I last had my quiet time. It'll be a struggle to do, always is, it go against what our flesh would naturally want to do. So I'll need a lot of prayer.
I'm also working on some sinful areas of my life, such as how I react when I get angry or upset, laziness (yep, I believe being lazy is sinful. resting is not, I'm not saying we don't need to have a day off and just to rest and have fun. but just plain laziness, doing nothing, all the time), and other things.

I'm sure by now after reading my posts y'all think I'm not really that good (for those that know me). I'm a sinner just like everyone else. Just because I'm a Christian, doesn't mean I'm perfect and that I don't sin or make mistakes. I'm just trying to be honest (it's something I've been working on, Honesty). I hope it helps anyone who reads my blog. I hope in inspires, encourages, and lets people know they're never alone in anything, there's always someone else going through the same thing, always. And being honest helps me, it takes a load off my shoulders. I never knew I could feel so good by being honest. Sure it hurts sometimes, it does to open one's self up, it leaves you vulnerable. But you feel so much better after the temporary pain. It gives others an opportunity to encourage you, help you, pray for you, and it gives you an opportunity to help others.

well I think it's time to wrap up this post, it's getting long and it's already 11:05pm so I'm going to end it by asking y'all to pray for me. Pray for guidance, wisdom, peace, and the aforementioned things in my post. We all need prayer, and we all will for the rest of our lives. If y'all ever need prayer, feel free to hit me up. Leave a comment, send me a message, hit me up on twitter, it don't matter. I'd be glad to pray for y'all!

Work

This is something my Dad forwarded to me about work sent in an email from Institute for Creation Research. It's definitely a better way to view work. Because if y'all are a sinner like me, one thing we do is complain about work.

Labor--The Gift of God

January 5, 2011

"And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:13)

Some people may have the feeling that having to work for a living is an imposition of a corrupt society. Since they were brought into this world through no choice of their own, therefore the world owes them a living, they think. Is working a punishment because of our sins?

Well, God did "curse" the ground because of sin, but in an important sense it was for man's own good. "Cursed is the ground," He told Adam, "for thy sake" (Genesis 3:17). It would require "the sweat of thy face" (v. 19) before man could eat his bread, and even then it would be "in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life" (v. 17).

But the work itself would not be a punishment, for even before he sinned, God had given Adam the responsibility in his Edenic garden "to dress it and to keep it" (Genesis 2:15). Furthermore, we shall have work to do in the new earth in the ages to come, for we are told that "his servants shall serve him" there (Revelation 22:3), even though there will be no remnant of sinfulness there at all.

Even in this life, work is a blessing when we see it as "the gift of God." If we see it only as drudgery and hardship, then it can indeed be "in sorrow." But the Lord Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

If having to work for a living will encourage us to come to Christ for salvation and peace of soul, then it is truly "for thy sake" that God's curse was pronounced on the ground. The key to joy in labor, instead of sorrow, is noted by the apostle Paul. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. . . . for ye serve the Lord Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24). HMM

Still Unbelievable...

It's all still unbelievable. I was just walking through my house and it hit me again. It's so hard to believe that I am where I am. That I'm actually married to the most wonderful woman in the whole world. That we've got a house to live in that's our own. That I'm the leader of a family. That I've got a really good job. It's still so surreal... these are things that I've wanted for a long time. I've wanted to get to this point in my life for a long time. And now it's here. So unbelievable.

It's hard, lots of arguments. Some fights. Even more disagreements. But even still, it's indescribable. One minute we're having an argument, the next I feel like I've never loved her more. And I mean literally, the next minute!

The house hasn't really gotten any further, as far as painting, unpacking, etc. I guess I'm just too lazy...well I know I'm too lazy...I need to do something about that =P It's amazing how much of a mess two people can make. I guess it would be easier if we'd get everything in order and completely unpacked. Still have the den full of stuff that needs a place, and all the Christmas decorations... I have no clue where we're gonna store anything either (wish I could afford to buy an outbuilding).

And it's tough being a leader. I've gotta make decisions for my family (just me and my wife right now =P ) that I've never had to make before. We visited a new church today cause we'd like something a little closer because we would be able to be more involved in church. But I just don't know. Sometimes I feel like it's what we need to do, and then others I don't want to leave the church we're at. I don't know if it's just uncomfortable going somewhere new or, if it's not what we should be doing right now.

I haven't really made a new year's resolution cause, I usually fail only a few weeks into it. So I've decided this is my new year's resolution: to be more diligent in going to church and being involved in it. We haven't really been faithful in our attendance since we've gotten married. And it's important so I'm determined to get this area of our life straightened out. So I could use some prayer for guidance from the Lord as to where we need to be right now.

It probably sounds like all I do is complain a lot, and I do. I'm just trying to write what I feel and be as honest as possible, without saying too much. That's one thing that my wife and I have been working on, Honesty. It's tough...really tough. But it's been really great. We're doing a lot better in our communication, now that we've figured out how to be completely open with each other =) definitely one thing I encourage others that are newly married to do.

But yeah, even though it's been tough the past few weeks/months it's been wonderful. Because I know that no matter what, God is still in control, and he's always keeping us. He is faithful, even when we are not. ^_^