I miss the pitts(burgh)

So i went to a retreat this weekend out near pittsburgh. A friend and I drove over 7 hours to go spend the weekend away from every day life and have an encounter with God. Man was God ever big this weekend. The thing I rememberr most was the prayer labrynth. I was in a dimly lit area. After going through several experiences I was left with a vision of an inprint. A very specific one. One that you could try to fill. but would never truly fill. the imprint of my being. one that only God can fill. I laid there crying for at least 15 minutes over welmed by the thought that God dreamed about me like a lover. Before he breathed me into life God dreamed about making me. About how I would smile. And how i would cry. About how i would dance like there was no tomorrow at the sound of his name and how I would struggle through the hard times and be faithful to a Him who created and loves me. He dreamed about making me.. Its amazing.. that God could love me. a sinner like me. sooooo much.. God is good .. Sooo good. Have a great day.. but take a minute. shut off the lights. the tv. the music. just kneel by your bed side. quiet your life for just a bit.. shutt off the cell phone .. some one else wants to talk.. spend some time talking to God.. Then open his word. read and listen.. Open your heart. Let God in to places that are usually conjested with the worlds crap ( skubalin) and He will fill those cracks.

Lay it Down

Surender is So scary.

And So Beautiful.

Watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-qz2ZWcvg4

I love playing guitar

Somthing about music just sooths the soul.

I love playing guitar. It's what lead me to Jesus.

I love playin for people because i get to use my gift.

It puts a smile on my face that no one can erase.

Last nite my frends Drew, Jenna, and I loaded my car FULL.

We had a drum set a PA system . guitars and guitar amps.

We drove to PCC church and played with some guys there.

Then we packed up the equipment and were playin 45 minutes away at 1:15 AM.

We got to lead worship for a middle school lock in.

And then we all spent the nite ( after a well deserved I-Hop stop at 3 AM )

Im not that good at guitar.

Drew has been playing drums for just about a month.

Jenna has a great voice.

And we had a blast.

Got to sing to the king.

Got to show middle school kids the infectous love of Christ.

In a smile that is contagous.

Do what you do. It dosen't matter if your the best or not that good. But know Why your doing it. Find a Joy that shines like the morning sun in your smile because you know that God has gifted you and you get to use that gift. We all have a place in the body of christ. We can all bear good fruit. no matter the size. I love guitar.. im gonna keep playing. and practicing.. and gettin better. so that I can sing a love song... to Jesus.

I Carly

Ok so i hardly ever watch tv. But right after school i like to have a snack and I carly is usually on. ( my sister seems to automatically put nickolodeon on ... im a cartoon network kinda guy :P )

It wasn't the show that caught my attention but the theme song...

So wake up the members of my nation

Genesis 12:2
"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

it's your time to be

Isaiah 42:14 "For a long time I have kept silent, I have been quiet and held myself back. But now, like a woman in childbirth, I cry out, I gasp and pant.

theres no chance unless you take one

Luke 9:25
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

and its your time to see

John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

a brighter side of every situation

1 Peter 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

somethings are meant to be

Psalm 139:13
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

so give your best and leave it all to me

Revelation 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

So there you have it.. comming to you from one of the founders of the first church of McDonalds ... (trumpets sound .. ba ba da daaa!!!) the I Carly devo! but seriously im gonna take a week to look at one of these verses per day ( and read the scripture around it to fully grasp the context and meaning of what is being said) so i invite you to copy, paste, and print this off. take it one day at a time and read the chapter sorounding these verses. i'd be happy as a bug in a rug if i got feed back. even if its just to tell me how rediculous the idea of an I Carly bible study is .

My prayer is that we can all stay in the Word daily and let God speak to us through scripture. Weather a planed out reading, or a spirit lead moment of " i need to read my bible!". I hope that we can be in tune and let our lives be changed by the plan God has instore for us all.

Im excited

Im excited. for the winter retreat. for friends from far away. for the friends im gettin closer to in the halls at school, for the way my study habits have improved. for oppertuinities that God has put in my life. and for whatever comes next.

Matthew 22:32 "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."

Im excited to live each day for a living God. one that offeres adventure and excitment. one that has a plan so much bigger and better that i could ever imagine. a God who answeres prayers from his faithful ones. and who has a promise of eternal life.

I pray that we can all get swept up in Gods plan. that we would let the adventure of following our savior over whelm us so that we have to risk things. and trust God. i hope that we can all find a way to trust in turbulance.

Sending Duplicates

I caught myself today.

About to send the same text two two different girls.

It was one of those moments that really got to me.

See txt messaging is probably the lowest form of communication on the planet. in fact i think smoke signals are more heart warming. and the fact that i depersonalized ( i belive i may have just created that word) it even more made me feel terrible. It speaks volumes on my relationships.

When you hear a sappy love song that makes you want to txt that special someone thats cute. but when you hear the same song and txt your last 4 girlfriends in hopes that one will respond thats desparation.

It shifts from i want to talk to one specific girl to... I crave female attention. which is a dangerous place to be. thats where people get used. and feelings get hurt. trust gets broken and friends get lost.

Because of how detaced we become from our friends i could send the same txt to 5 people at once and they would all think it was intended "just for them".

In fact i know a guy in Illinois that is dating 2 girls at the same time.. but because their in different schools neither of them will find out anytime soon ... if ever.

the world has gotten to "big". I long for the small town feel. so my challenge for you is to look at the number of friends on your face book and honestly ask your self... do i know them.. if i had to write down 5 things that make them destinct and special to me... could I? or are they just a face book friend.. and IM friend.. or a TXT friend.

Now theres nothing wrong with knowing a lot of people. and i love being social. In fact it is biblical to be social 3 John 1:8 "We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth." (the men hes talking about are strangers who claim to be friends)

Embrace your community. keep clicking YES to friend requests. meet new people.. but make sure you have your "best" friends. make sure you dont get lost in an ocean of digital friends. because that can leave you to wake up one day and realize that even though your surrounded by a crowd ... you dont really know anyone... "I woke, cold and alone, Adrift in an open sea, Caught up in regrets, And tangled in nets, Instead of your arms wrapped around me."- Digital Sea by: Thrice

My prayer is that we can all get to know eachother better and that we can appreciate those around us in our lives for who they are and who God created them to be.

Acts 18:10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city

So Paul finds himself in a new town. When he arrived he met lots of people and preached the Good News of Jesus Christ like he meant it! Now the Jews didnt quite appreciate that and it was just before He was taken to court that God spoke to him and assured him with the verse in Acts 18:10. That was reassuring to Paul and he made it through the courts and continued spreadin Jesus.

Now I can only imagine the kind of fear Paul must have fealt. But he had the strength to endure the trials because he knew that God was with him. Its interesting because it is easy to let the words on the page be just words. its easy to forget how real Pauls struggle was. it miss the intensity of the situation. and its also easy to miss another deeper meaning.

We should walk and proclaime the gospel with the same confidence that Paul did. None of us are perfect. were all flawed sinners. but as 2 Timothy 2:13 says "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." thats right. even though we fail God is there. In fact God is there while we fail... think about that.

Now something interesting about Acts 18:10. When God promised "I am with you" to comfort paul... it meant so much more. See the translators failed to catch the true essance of this statement which was not quite I am with you... but rather... I with you am...

God is faithful to us even when we arent to him because he cannot disown himself... see God is not just with us. With us ..He Is. We were made in the image and likeness of God. His spirit was breathed into us as in Genesis 2:7. God with us is...

See i don't believe in a God out there some where. No .. God is right here in you and in me.... God is not just with us.. with us He Is!. "We are more than just carbon and chemicals, We are the Image of the Invisible!"(-thrice)

My prayer is that we can all start living like God with us is!. To start living in the peace that our very life came from God who breathed it into us.. and that we are in his image.. and image of the invisible. and that we will let God work through us.