Why Small Groups

I started a small group for a group of teenagers in Arizona and one of the first things I went over was why? Why do we need to gather more than on Sunday mornings? Why does it matter that we gather in Small Groups or sustain this ministry? First I bring up Matthew 18:20 "For when two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." God lives in each one of us and we all bear his essence so when we gather that essence can be more powerful we can see more of God together in community as Christ lived than alone. Solitude is important especially when we need to give thanks to God and focus our lives back on him when we stray, but the importance of community cannot be overlooked. In a large crowd such as at church on Sundays you aren't inclined to open and share things very often so very rarely do you come to grow with your brother and sister, But in a small group built on trust people can feel free to share things they wouldn't in any other environment. We get in a Small Group to grow close together and build one another up, we share and live life together and this makes us stronger. Most of us didn't know each other well at the start but now with the help of Gods presence we know each other and frequently share our lives together in and outside of small group, these wonderful people have marveled me with their rapid growth and understanding. So I implore you to think about finding or starting a small group God bless!

Arizona

Some of you know that last July I moved from Kentucky to Arizona, at that time I was very involved in life lots of  friends, studied about Jesus with great youth leaders and had an awesome group of home-schoolers to hang out with at a co-op. When I found out I was moving and couldn't see these people anymore along with my family in Kentucky my life began falling apart. God however was there like always holding the pieces together. When I moved out to Arizona it took us awhile to find a house but we found one and it was within walking distance of our new church. The church had the same scripture based beliefs and teaching and an equally amazing group of teens and leaders for their youth group. They welcomed me in and through that I was able to continue growing in Christ in this new church that God had at just the right place and time for me. I have made lots of new friends and now enjoy living in the area. Looking back I now see where God was while I was spinning.

Sacrifice

Today I heard a wonderful man speaking about his time in ministry and he spoke on a topic that struck so many chords. The "sacrifices" we make, we have all heard something one time or another something along the lines of 'I have sacrificed comfort or good living for God'. He wants to bring to attention that God doesn't need you that serving him is the good life, you don't sacrifice and miss out to serve God. What you won't do for him he will get someone who will to do it. It never was and never will be about us and our comfort, it is what brings the most glory to God, if you think for a moment that you can earn favor with God or something through personal 'sacrifice' you are on the wrong track. Your favor in Gods eyes comes from Jesus and his SACRIFICE on the cross.

Words of Peace for the Uneasy

In the world today it is more than easy to become stressed out over even the smallest details. With the busy schedules we keep and the wide variety of activities we participate in everyday, it can be easy for something to go different than we had planned/hoped. When things seem to turn for the worst I stop and remember what a wise man once told me "I would say that whatever happens would be the best case scenario." At the time I sorta got what he was saying but after being neck deep in what I had originally thought to be a horrid experience coming up, I looked back and fully understood what I did not at that time. God has the world in his control and everything in and around as well, from the smallest to the biggest detail God's authority reigns supreme. So when things seem like they are spiraling out of control instead of resorting to stress I am now trying to remember that God has a plan and it will inevitably be fulfilled maybe not how we imagine but exactly how God has planned it. The reason this comforts me is that not only do I not have to worry about fixing and controlling everything but the man in charge loves me and everyone of you and he has our best interests at heart. At the end of the day things probably won't be going our way at least not all the time, but they are going the way God has planned for us and even the strongest storms of our lives have an end and we have Christ as our shelter to wait them out in.

The Domain of God

Moving to Arizona I have picked up some new things knowledge, friends, a swimming pool, but one of the most awesome things I have learned or rather experienced here is just how far God's work reaches. God's domain, rule, and power cover all of creation and sure it's one thing to know that but moving here I have met many of God's workers and followers so far from home. It is awesome to see that God is not limited to one place that he is working everywhere all the time. God's nation is big and reaches far hopefully some encouragement for those who feel like they are fighting alone with their backs to the wall.

The Armor of God

Ephesians 6:10-20 talks about the armor of God, this is the 'equipment' he provides us with to "11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes." God provides us with the following "Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." These are awesome to think about, God provides us with this arsenal to protect us in our battles for him note that when you are attacked it still hurts we will still have pain and suffering but we have what we need to fight the battle. God gives us a breastplate not a cuirass so your back is left exposed, if you turn your back on the battle if you refuse Gods path then everything he has provided you with is useless because his protection doesn't cover the backs of those who flee. The helmet protecting our heads the key to life and the thing that make us unique intelligent beings is salvation. This represents that without salvation then we have nothing if we have not accepted our salvation in Christ it is as battling without a helmet leaving us exposed to attack and doomed to fail. His word our sword is what we need to win without it we can take hits all day but we can never defeat our enemies. The belt is truth at our center keeping us balanced and on track. All the different types of armor and weapons are specifically chosen for a purpose to relate to us the use of God's gifts. He calls us to put on the whole suit of God because just part of it is not enough we need all of God to live.

Honesty

I have always held in my mind that honesty was important, that it was respectable and necessary to be a likable person. Recently while studying honesty I was shown a unique look on it that I had never heard. Honesty rather than being focused on your words and speaking only true things such as expressing thoughts and such as they appear is rather a lifestyle focus centered on God being the truth. One of the I am statements of God includes I am the truth, living in light of that (living honestly) means living your life in the truth of Gods words as he is the only infalible source of truth who's words are law. Speaking truths are only a side effect in the big picture of living in the light of the truth. In fact somethings commonly passed as truths are in reality not i.e. Say you have a negative opinion on someone like you may think they are ugly, expressing this feeling and saying that they are ugly is not truth, sure it may be 'true' that you have that opinion but our opinions are often skewed and twisted by sin. The real truth in this situation is God and his word which says each and every one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. This was just an amazing opening to my eyes on truth that truth is not merely a tangible rule or objective but that God is truth and being honest is to live in that truth.

Lot's Wife

As part of our schooling we are currently reading through the book of genesis, today we were reading about Abraham and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Something that stuck out to me was an analogy Abraham pleaded on behalf of any who were righteous in the cities to God that he would spare them. God graciously agreed that he would spare the cities if as few as 10 righteous were found in all the cities. When the angels visited the cities they come across Lot who God allowed to flee the city before it was destroyed for Abrahams sake. This is a huge gift of grace to Lot and his family but as they left Lot's wife disobeys one of the commands given to them to not look back this is the same as not accepting the gift of grace God offered them. She was turned into a pillar of salt when she did this. To me this relates closely to the new testament where Jesus sheds his blood on the cross to forgive our sins and put us right with God it is the biggest gift of mercy and grace. Like with Lots gift though we have to accept it if we don't take it or take it but not what comes with it then we will end up like Lot's wife who was turned to a pillar of salt. We will be held accountable to the punishment we deserve if we refuse the gift laid out before us.

Attentiveness

First off I would like to apologize for my lack of posts lately, it was my goal to keep the blog up but that hasn't been happening lately. I am jumpstarting the blog today on the subject of attentiveness. I think my favorite thing I have heard about this subject is that it is the key to being intentional. By itself being attentive will not get you much but it is the key stone to building and maintaining other character qualities. Some of you may wonder what this word really means the best way I can explain it is paying careful attention when being spoken to or shown something or anything you are doing. examples of this include keeping yourself from being distracted or a distraction as well as not interrupting someone else's speech. I recommend striving to attain some grasp or understanding of this character quality as it is a building block to doing most anything well.

Phoenix

I haven't been able to blog in awhile because as most of you know I moved to Phoenix. So far I have mostly noticed that it is hot here really hot, and anyone who says at least it is a dry heat hasn't been here more than 10 minutes. I plan to keep the blog up in Phoenix; it will just be harder because I don't have my computer. I will be living here for at least 6 months so I won't be seeing many of you for awhile. Please continue to pray for my family during this transition this is very different for us so we have to put our faith wholly in God to watch over us and guide us during this time.

Thank you

I haven't blogged for a few days now because I have been spending almost everyday with my friends. I just want to say thank you to all the people I have come to know over the last couple years who have helped turn my life around. Tomorrow I leave for Arizona so this is also a goodbye for now, I will be praying for you guys continually and I ask you do the same for me. This new chapter in life is not something I wanted to do but God is all knowing and all powerful so I know that he has me going there for a reason. He is not worried about what will happen to me in Arizona and neither am I. So thank you all again my friends, life is not over and I am sure we will meet again.

Suffering

In society today we are told to live life with as much comfort and luxury as we can accumulate. This is a trap easy to fall in because it appeals to many areas of our sinful nature. I would say most if not all sin is rooted in the sin of idolatry which is putting more time, effort, and money into something other than God. If we make a luxurious lifestyle our idol we will spend our days in an endless cycle of buying the latest and greatest of whatever society tells us we want at that time. Luxury is ever changing what is good one day is bad the next and new things are constantly pumped into the mix. God is a constant and never changes and he provided us with one narrow way to him that never changes. It is not just this day and age that is bustling with idols, nothing is new under the sun temptation has been with man since the beginning. As Christians we are called to place our value in the things of God not of man (Matthew 19:16-30) our life is not meant to be easy; we must put forth effort now in our lives and live the best life later. You cannot live your best life now and later...

Fellowship / Helloship

Fellowship is an essential piece in christian living we are not meant to live isolated alone on Mt. Me&Jesus for the rest of this life cut off from the world. a lot of us fall into a trap of helloship thinking we are fine but not realizing what we are doing wrong. So what are fellowship and helloship well these are the two definitions I have to offer.
Helloship - A gathering of people to share an experience together.
EX. Bowling, watching a movie, eating dinner.
Fellowship - A group of people coming together to share a uniquely christian experience.
EX. Any time God is the focus of your gathering.

Helloship is not wrong it is great to spend time with friends and have fun, but it is NOT a replacement for fellowship. Some of the best ways to experience fellowship are the simplest; attend church regularly, join  a small group, just ask someone about Christ. It doesn't take much but God loves to work in us through our fellowship with one another and that is why it is so important.

Father's Day

When I blogged yesterday I did not realize that it was Father's day so here is my one day late Father's day post. This holiday is to honor fathers God appoints fathers to be leaders of their households, they guide their family physically and spiritually in life. They have lots of responsibility to take care of their home and family; This can put a lot of stress on a man as so many things are riding on his shoulders and so everyday we should show our fathers support and this holiday should serve as a reminder to do so. God calls children blessings to a home and family and being a father is a big role because God trusts them with his blessings. Being a father is an honorable thing and for doing this we thank all the dads out their supporting their families.

Salvation

This is a strong term with a specific meaning. Salvation is the result of Christ's act on the cross which he did not have to do but chose to anyway. Salvation is the grace and mercy of Christ washing over our sin so that we can stand before God with a clean slate, not because of what we have done but because of Christ has done. Salvation is a free gift we just have to surrender our own selfish sinful desires/natures and accept Christ as our Lord and savior. This is the first step, once you have surrendered your life to Christ that's done the game is not to surrender more and more. At this point is where effort comes in Christ gives us many commandments that we are to follow we are to strive to be as much like him as possible. We are still sinners and we mess up a lot but being a christian means we have to get back up and make every effort to obey Christ. Salvation does not mean a life of ease if this your train of thought you probably haven't really come to Christ accepting him also means to place yourself in servitude under him and he has many things for us to do, and while they may seem strange or unpleasant God has the very best in store for his sheep because like all good shepherds he loves his flock and has great plans for it. 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not just a holiday where people eat tons of food in the U.S. It is also a mindset. This type of mindset is characterized with a thankful heart and is very important in prayer. We should not pray only for things we want to happen or for rescue but along side that we need to pray thankfully for what God has provided us with. We should be thankful for the people we know, the things we have, and most of all the fact we get to know him and that Christ died for our sins. Scripture tells us what we deserve, so anything we experience or have is by grace because it is better than what we deserve. Take time each day and just remember to be thankful.
~ 1 Corinthians 1:4
~ Philippians 1:3-4
~ Colossians 1:3
~ Psalms 95:2
~ Psalms 50:14-15
~ 2 Corinthians 1:11
~1 Timothy 2:1-2

Flare Prayer

This is a term I have heard a lot lately while discussing prayer so I am going over it today. Flare prayer is a style of praying that majorly fails in one area frequency. If you are someone who does this then you only pray to God with an SOS at the very worst of times, when life throws its hardest at you, you respond with and emergency call for God to save you. when times are good however you leave God in the backseat and try to live life by your own strength let me point out right here your strength is not enough, never will it be enough. we are called to pray without ceasing to honor and glorify God throughout the day every day year round, not just when we are ill or injured. Praying during the hard times is not a bad thing we are supposed to, but there is so much more than the hard times that we still need to pray over. If you are just a flare prayer right I encourage you to practice praying throughout the day, when you get up in the morning, over your meals, before you go to bed, while you brush your teeth... Anytime God comes to mind remember to pray.

Prayer

In my opinion prayer is one of the most important things we as Christians overlook/under use & under appreciate.Praying is a way we can cry out to God; a direct communication to him better than email, text message, or phone call.  A lot of people will only use prayer in times of darkness when life gets rough they pray for God to come apply a holy band-aid of sorts and make it better; but when it come around to the good times they seem to forget him. Then there are people who praise him for the good times but are angry with him during the bad. Then there are those who simply don't pray. When I was younger before Christ was truly a part of my life I used to think of prayer as something you were supposed to do before dinner and if you were a super christian before bed as well. Prayer should be done throughout the day through thick and then praising God all the time and asking him for help when you are weak. Prayer is a very big and important topic so I am going to split up everything I have to say over the next couple days. Here is some scripture that really helps with where prayer's importance is held.
-1 Thessalonians 5:17
-1 Corinthians 14:15
-Romans 10:13
-James 5:16
These are just a few I found helpful feel free to list more in the comments.

Leading

Leading especially for guys, is not something you choose to do. Whether you like or not someone somewhere in your life looks up to you or follows you around and watches you, they see what you do and they mimic your behavior because they trust you. You do have a choice when it comes to leading you can do something about it and become a good leader, you can set the most Christ like example possible and point to him along the way; or you can do nothing you can ignore your role as a leader and live your own lifestyle and as a result cause those who look up to you to suffer. One way of defining what leaders do that I really like is that leaders set the direction, pace, and tone. So where are we going, how fast do we get there, and how do we feel about it. Using this definition you can check how well you are leading others by asking yourself these questions where am I going; The answer should be where Christ calls me. How fast do we get there; The answer should be anything that isn't slothful or procrastinating. How do I feel about it; The answer should be a positive mind set excited to fulfill God's plans for your life. If you live leading that way people will see your example and mimic it. Everyone is a leader to some degree, the question is are you doing a good job?

Your will be done

The phrase "Your will be done" is not an easy one to understand at first, and often is even harder to use in prayer. I like to end all my prayers that I ask things of God with this, that his will be done. God does not panic or become confused, he has always known since before time began what will happen to us. Matthew 6:25-34 talks about how God knows all of our needs and that we shouldn't be anxious about them, we must first seek the kingdom of God and they will be provided. I encourage you to pray to God for contentment and peace of mind about worldly things for God has the very best path in store for his flock.

Youth Camp

I have just recently gotten back from youth camp with GFC. For those of you who have ever gone you know that I have been sleeping a lot since then. But on a more serious note I have been to camp twice now and both times have deeply impacted my life. The first year I went I had the Gospel hit me in the face like a brick and sink in, and it was camp that year that lead me to Christ. This year I spent as much if not more of my time around my leaders as I did my peers trying to learn as much as I could, and I found out how much all these leaders care and how much they know and love Jesus. This year was amazing in the way it changed the very way I think and I am thankful for the opportunities God has provided me to grow close with my church family.

Good & Evil

Far to often people become caught up in what is good and what is bad, they will believe in things like karma, luck, and fate. Only one thing is good that is the trinity, we have all sinned and it is not our place to decide who is better than one another, to pass judgement. Sin is sin it does not have a value system, certain sins are not more sinful than others we always here about how awful certain crimes are and how we focus on certain sins as  horrid and then see others and pass them off as a phase or no big deal. Sin is bad all of it and guess what we have all sinned we have all earned eternal punishment no ifs, ands, or buts. Once you realize this and accept this fact that on our own we are irredeemable; you can grasp what Christ did on that cross. many people were crucified that does not make him unique; whats really important that day is that God took all the punishment for the sins we have and ever will commit and poured them down on Jesus on that cross. The wrath of God our punishment was completely laid out on him; so that we can, if we accept Christ, come before God at our time and present to him not our own sin stained slate, but the white, pure, and righteous! slate of Jesus Christ. Don't waste your time worrying about being what qualifies as a "good" person by societies standards, and do not judge those who pass for "bad" in society. Keep your focus on following Christ he will lead the way share his good news!

Psalms 1:1-2

I have been memorizing a piece of scripture, Psalms 1:1-2, and I am trying to not only learn it but put it into practice. The scripture reads "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night." that is the ESV translation. Mainly I have been focusing on the last part, I have done devotionals for a while and I read them in the morning; but when I read this it stuck out to me now while I don't think it implies you have to do a devotional morning and at night, I find it certainly helps. After this point got stuck in my head I was flipping through my bible and at the end found a read through the bible in a year plan and began following it for my nightly devotional. While on the topic of devotionals I wanted to mention something that had been made apparent to me, before doing a devotional or reading scripture in general pray; pray that the Lord would speak to you through his words and that you will be listening, It has helped me infinitely since I started!

Career

I have been praying a lot about this lately, and I am asking you to join me. I have never really cared about what kind of job I ended up in or whether or not I went to college. I have always planned on going to college because I have always been told that was the best thing for me to do. The minimum work age in Kentucky is 14 and that's when I started submitting applications at various places. I am now 16 and have never heard back from a single application I submitted, at first this was okay because it gave me more time to spend with my peers. But now even though I have the time and opportunities to spend with them I just can't afford it. One thing my mom and I have discussed was entrepreneurial work, there are many opportunities out there and many people have made extremely successful lives; without going to college or getting a 9-5 career. At first this startled me because it goes against everything I was taught up to this point; but it makes the most since with what I want in life which is to spend as much time as possible with my own family which hopefully God has planned for me, and to be able to spend my time in his word. Working from home in these types of jobs would give me the ability to work my own hours and spend my time where God needs me instead of behind a desk. Nothing is set in stone but I would like for you all to join me in praying about my monetary future.

Wisdom from the spirit

I am still in Corinthians for my devotionals and today came to a part speaking of wisdom; it starts off by saying how we don't need worldly wisdom because it is temporary, finite, and subject to change. Then it goes to say that there is a kind of wisdom we impart to the mature, the wisdom of the spirit of God. We must receive the spirit of God and not the spirit of the world; and only by doing this will we come to hear and understand Gods will and thoughts. Now this doesn't say we will become all knowing but that we will be able to hear God speaking to us and follow him. Later it says a "natural person" (referring to how left to our own devices we rebel and accept the spirit of the world.) will not accept the things of the spirit of God; because they will seem folly or foolish to him. Right there it says basically if you listen to God and follow him through the spirit, there are going to be people out there who think you are foolish. Because they use the spirit of the world and worldly wisdom; and Gods calling and plan can only be discerned or understood by those who use the spirit of God and its' wisdom. Don't be discouraged when the people of the world frown on you, or tell you you are crazy; from their stand point you do seem crazy because they operate with a different understanding a flawed view on life. Trust in the Lord to lead you, don't listen to anyone else over him. He is kind, faithful, loving, and just.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

During my devotional this morning I read the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, today I wanted to talk about verses 26-29. I am not going to write them here so now is a good time to read them. This set of verses talks about how God rarely chooses the ones who boast in their abilities and accomplishments; but rather the weak, the foolish, the undesirables. It says he does this to shame the boasters, and humble them. Later it explains a little bit in this passage and in many other places why he does this, this text says it is so that no flesh shall glory before God. Honestly I think that in and of itself speaks pages about why he chooses the lowly to be with him. If you brag in yourself and the things you have accomplished, then are you really giving glory to God? Since this ultimately is his goal for us to praise, love, and glorify him! Why would he choose those who are confident in themselves to do it? Those who are already praising themselves, loving themselves, and glorifying themselves. Food for thought... Who do you boast in God or yourself?

Back for more

I have internet access on my computer again, and as a result can bring what life my blog had back. Tonight I watched the movie Courageous it was fantastic, there were many times I held back tears as well as times I had to bust out laughing. This movie spoke about the very heart of my faith, The grace of God, the love he has shown us and told to share for one another, and most of all the responsibilities of manhood. I love the transformation the movie shows a group of men taking from being just men to providing fathers. I hope one day I can put all this stuff I am learning about marriage and parenthood to use, but most of all I hope that God keeps me close to him and that the firm foundation for my faith, Jesus, never wavers.

Weight loss

I have been stuck at 362 for a while now and I am done, I really want to get going again... So I have modified my work out plan and made a chart I can check it off on and might even look into an accountability partner. Diet changes are coming soon but most importantly I am praying for assistance from God, I really hope I have your support it makes it so much easier!

Love

Today I want to share the definition I have learned for love, I didn't come up with but I really like it; Love is wanting the very best for someone regardless of cost or outcome. This does not mean giving them whatever they want or caving to all their demands, but to do what is best for them in regards to eternity. What is best for one person may not be best for another and so love looks different between each person. It is not easy something that has to be worked at, and in my opinion can't truly happen without prayer and assistance from God. I don't believe to love someone you have to like them because I don't think true love is an emotional feeling, but it definitely makes it easier to love them. God calls us to love everybody not just the people around us... Something to think about especially for the kids my age.

Sorry again

Missed some posts got busy, last night was amazing! I got to attend winter jam with Mt. Olivet church youth group. The music was tailored specifically to what I needed to hear to get back on track with life, it was a great night of worship. I very much recommend the winter jam tour to anyone it is really inexpensive and so worth it!

Sorry

Sorry I missed a couple posts, time to fill everyone in. Last couple days have been busy I was at my parents small group leaders house most of Sunday. Yesterday one of my relatives passed away please keep her family in prayer during this hard time. That's all for now I hope God will bless your day!

Praise

Ever since the tornado in the tri-state,  I have seen countless churches and communities come together and rebuild. It is amazing to see all the love these groups have for one another. At first someone might be tempted to think down on the storm, at first I did, but then I realized like everything else in life God is in control. He gives and takes away God was going to take the lives he took regardless of the storm because it is his plan and it was their time. All the damage to these homes is insane to comprehend, but I don't know any families who haven't found someone to help them rebuild or let them stay at their place. Dozens of churches have become red cross centers and their have been countless donations to these people. God is good not only in the storm but especially in the storm! Hope God blesses your day!

Goal accomplished

I know it doesnt really mean much but I just wanted you guys to know today I reached over 500 views for the blog. At first it may seem a shallow goal to shoot for views, but by having views on the blog means there are people out there who actually read it and maybe I am making a difference. So thank you viewers, a special thanks to my viewers in Russia, Germany, & Argentina... Not sure how that happened :)

Daily reading

I am sure you have heard of it's importance before, but I am going to reiterate the importance of reading scripture every day. I like to read a little every morning over night because I find it is better to start the day in scripture so you have that mind set through the day. For those of you who have never taken up daily reading I suggest starting in Romans. If you need someone to hold you accountable or someone to guide you through reading contact me on facebook!

Plateau

Most of you know I have lost a lot of weight, but recently I just kinda stopped  I have been stuck shifting between 362-365. Now this is still good because it is 20 pounds lighter than I used to be, but I would like to keep going. My plan currently is to reduce the amount of strength training I do and increase the cardio exercises. I guess I will let you guys know if things change! :)

Comments

I love it when you guys comment on my posts the feed back really helps me see whos reading my blog and what type of things to talk about. Most of you use some kind of google account or name when you comment so I know who you are, but for those who comment without one could you leave your name so I know who you are? Thanks. oh and this blog is very close to 500 views! (somehow I ended up with some viewers in Russia and Germany, which is awesome!)

Hunger Games

If you are in my book club, you can stop reading here. The Hunger Games were on a list of books (including Twilight) that I told myself I would never read. This prejudice statement was based solely on the fact that all the people I knew who liked Hunger Games also liked Twilight which I can't stand the thought of. Well for book club it was on our book list, thus I had to read it. The first week were supposed to read the first seventy pages or so... It was so bad I could only force 30, the next week was 100 pages at which point I instead read 340 pages. I finished the book in one day, thoroughly enjoying it. My favorite character was Peeta by far his life was very relatable to me. Least favorite character Katniss read the book and you can probably figure it out. I recommend this book to anyone who is not super easily offended.

Ouchy

My stomach has been killing me all day, my current belief is that my stomach is writing a strongly worded letter about my recent intakes of fast food and organic all natural detoxification tea, it is my belief that it would like me to choose haha. I guess my plan is to try and eat less ridiculously unhealthy things like what ever McDonald's is calling "chicken". I am not happy that I have been coasting around 365-362 pounds for 2 weeks now so my plan is to work a little harder to start losing weight again instead of sitting around at minus 20 some pounds! Hope I can count on you guys for your continued support, as well as God's blessings.

Well no one had any requests so far so today I bring you another post about whatever comes to mind. I am at 364 lbs not bad a two pound gain the result of eating out 4 times the last 3 days. Still praying for all those families who were impacted by the storm. Church last night was awesome as always, love to worship and the message was very impacting; still a bit surprised at the amount of youth leaders at 4th service. Well I guess that's all for today time to go out and try my best to use my gifts and talents as dispensers of grace!

Requests

Normally I just post what ever comes to mind once or twice a day, but this time I am asking if there is anything you would like to see a post about? I love to share my beliefs but I have lots of them and it is nice to know which direction to go sometimes! you can comment here, message me on facebook, or email me at Ib1crazyman@gmail.com!

Music

I love music, I love worship songs and singing in big groups at church (and camp :)  ). I also love christian music but I don't feel anything against a song because it is secular or not sung by a Christian band. I have to admit I am a really big fan of listening to Metallica, but what I believe when it comes to listening to music is how does it influence your thoughts and your heart; your words and your actions. If you are someone who is easily swayed in their beliefs then perhaps it is best to just listen to Christian music only, but for me I listen to a song for inspiration in my comics and my writings. I usually pay attention to the instrumentals more so than the lyrics in a song so thus I don't pull negative things away from listening to them. Music is something as Christians we should redeem not reject.

Storms

Sorry I didn't post this morning, The internet at our house was disabled from the storm. The storm ravaged much of the tri-state including my own little slice of it Grant County. I would like to ask you all to pray for those who lost loved ones, those who lost their homes, and those who lost their lives. Lots of families were left without power and many left without anything at all so please find out what you can do to help and let's support this community and take this opportunity to show the love of Christ to our neighbors. God bless you all!

Support

I want to thank everyone who has supported me in changing my life style, it hasn't been easy but all the feed back from you guys has been awesome. January 9th I weighed 385 lbs. today I weighed 362 lbs. A lot of work has gone into it and the motivation is the keystone holding it together. When I started out i was just walking and I did that for while and built up to 2-3 miles of walking a day. While I still walk I don't as much because I have begun doing a lot of strength training. I have a routine I do 4-6 times a day throughout the day when I have the time and energy. I do 50 crunches on the floor, 50 on an exercise ball, 25 bench push ups, and various resistance training. and that is what I am doing right now that routine at least 4 times a day but I try to fit in as many as I can. In the morning I have also been drinking an all natural energy vitamin packed drink called Zija you will have to talk to my mom for more info on that though. But most importantly I pray everyday for the strength of mind and body, for the training and tools I need to fulfill Gods will in my life and things just keep getting better.

Reboot

I got side tracked recently with things that aren't as important so starting today I am refocusing my thoughts back on God. Today I am getting back to the basics of just trying to be the best I can and following in the steps of Jesus. I read Romans 13 today and it is a useful chapter, but to me it was one that is easy to grasp so I didn't feel I learned anything new rereading it so I think I will read some more later. This morning I weighed 362 so smiley faces! Yesterday was a really good day very freeing, had a great time at church really needed that specific sermon and had an amazing time discussing it in community group afterwards. 

Fears

I am afraid of an abnormally large amount of things... The dark, spiders, snakes, creepy bugs (like centipedes), large animals, heights, being alone, and being stuck in a small space with to many people are just some of the big ones I also cannot watch horror movies of any kind they give me nightmares.... But the funny thing is I don't fear death, now don't get me wrong I don't want to die but I am not scared of it. I know that when I die I am going to spend an eternity in heaven with my father and I will get to spend the rest of my days worshiping him forever and ever amen.

D & D

Today is the day I am going to play D & D at Dinovite with an amazing group of people, if you are someone who hasn't met me then I understand your confusion yes, yes indeed I am a super nerd. Totally a good thing though games in good moderation and of the right kind are great stimulants for the logic centers of the brain. When I first started studying latin it was a piece of cake because I already knew every other word from one RPG or another. but don't let you or those you are responsible for get absorbed with it, A. because if it gets a higher focus than God it's sin & B. Because if you spend to much time on games and not physical activity, you will end up having to try really hard like I am to get into shape later. On that note I did 600 crunches yesterday new record, this morning I weighed 364 I have been staying around that weight since I switched from heavy cardio to heavy strength training.

Plates

God never puts more on our plates than we can handle so when times are down and you feel over burdened remember God gives us the strength to conquer all the temptations he puts in our lives so when the suffering sets in read this verse ‎13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.  Corinthians 10:13  

Church

I attended the 4th service at Grace Fellowship last night, it was awesome to get to see some of my friends again. I was surprised at the amount of youth leaders there I counted 8 including those who are in training and those who left only recently. While I don't like watching the sermons as much as being there when they are given in the morning, it's so awesome how everything including the crowd responses are almost identical to the film. Worship was amazing some of the songs were new to me but it was still a great time. I got to converse with many of the youth leaders before and after service which was awesome and helpful. Can't wait to go again!

The Future

I had a really interesting conversation with one of my best friends last night and it is the inspiration for today's post. To start off a small note the future Mrs. Ty-Fyter, you must meet the following requirements 1. Be of the female gender of the human race. 2. You must love Jesus with all of your heart and being trying your hardest to follow his example. 3. Have to be willing to spend the rest of this life with me. Next I have prepared a small list of suggestions that would make it all better if you met these too. 1. Be ultra nerdy so we can spend lots of time together watching Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. 2. Want quite a few kids and enjoy the idea of adopting. 3.Like food. 4. Being willing to tell me no when I try to train all of the little kids to be spartan soldiers and compete for world domination with the Duggars. Well that's nice and summed up but apparently in the future I am going to end up a slightly grumpy extremely over protective dad... Who is going to raise an awesome generation of kids who have at least a 98% chance of being awesome. Homeschooling definitely. Training of my boys so they act like mature men by age 12 done. Raising a delightful group of ladies who don't want to date because boys are icky done. I am so ready for this haha my time in this little world will be awesome!

Give thanks

I am so thankful for all the friends God has put in my life and all the leaders he has placed for me to follow as examples. I love my friends who are there for me when I need them they are some truly amazing people. The people God has put in my life have been perfect for him to work through and change my life. I am so thankful that God has called me to be among his people, that he has saved me from eternal condemnation. Praise and glory to God for he is good so very good.

Co-op

Today is co-op day I woke up late so I didn't get to do my morning devotional... My plan is before classes start to do my reading off somewhere quiet. After co-op I am watching the movie Eragon with the book club then the rest of the day I will have to finish preparing for my game of D & D later this week. Sorry I don't have my weight this morning didn't get to weigh... and oh I have small tiny welts on the palm of my hand from where yesterday I was in the woods smacking sticks on trees until they exploded well I think thats all there is to tell this morning.

Harry Potter Marathon

I was thinking about this today, how neat would it be to watch all the movies in a row that is like 19 hours and 40 minutes... I dont have time to do this but it made me think if I could I would have had that marathon and dedicated almost 20 hours straight of my life to harry potter. Would I do that for Jesus? Would you do that for Jesus? would you spend 20 hours straight in a Jesus marathon doing nothing but prayer worship and praising him? Funny how that might strike someone as being crazy oh he must be a nut if he wants to spend that long praying to God. But in our society we can dedicate that kind of time to movies, games, friends, ipods, etc... but if prayer or worship are mentioned it is that thing we do what in the morning, on Sunday, or maybe just around the holidays...  Just something to think about how much of your time are you willing to dedicate to Jesus.

after completing 100 crunches, walking various distances, other exercise and an amazing night of worship. I weighed 362 this morning which is my lowest yet having lost 23 pounds. Yesterday at the First Church of Christ on Camp Ernst I got to spend time with my friends and had lots of time to worship. I got to talk with my friend Greg go K-9's *cough* *cough* I mean GOOOOOOOOO TEAM GO! haha. Lots of prayer and good times!

This morning during devotional I read Romans Chapter 2, which basically says don't Judge because you do the same stuff. I really like the book of Romans and I recommend it as a starting point for devotionals as it was recommended to me when I first started. I have been praying throughout the day in the past month or so that God would make me stronger and more able to carry out his will in my life and that I would be prepared for all the tasks he has in store for me. He has been very faithful to me in that area last month January 9th I weighed 385 and had the willpower of a goat... Today I weighed 365 and feel like I can do anything I set my mind to. God is good and I feel great.

I am sending out a prayer request not for me but for all the other teenagers out there. Every time I check facebook I can always find these posts by men and women (mostly women) about how they aren't in a relationship, or it just ended or how they were their entire world. First off dating really? you spill your feelings out to someone then they leave you and your heart gets crumpled... I don't know it just doesn't seem like something we are supposed to do to ourselves. Then even if you insist on dating whats the point? when your dating someone are they who you intend to marry one day? If not then you know you aren't doing anything good for you or your future spouse. Plus at this stage in life where everyone has those 'raging teen hormones' you really think you will be safe? that you wont make any mistakes during that 'dating' relationship? well anyway I just want everyone to pray for my generation of kids who seem to me obsessed with dating, they are hurting themselves and they don't even know it.  (oh and to all the people who keep saying on facebook "no one cares about me" or "no one wants to listen to me" it is far from the truth you ALWAYS have God and I am willing to listen if you can get a hold of me. Thanks for reading my rant haha!

Beginnings

This is the first post of my new blog, I am going to try to share with you guys my beliefs and my journey through life and how God is working in it. Today I was convicted about my lack of devotionals, I had done them before but had fallen out of the practice. This morning after I got ready for the day I took probably a small but still good half hour to read Romans chapter 1 and pray giving thanks to God for the wonders he has worked in my life.