Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

This is x-posted from my old Pleonast... it's looking more and more like I'll be moving here. Strange, but here goes!


Still getting used to this whole updating-my-blog-on-a-somewhat-regular-basis thing. Heh.

Since my last post:
-- Studied several more times with Antoine. We had 3 studies last week because he had 3 days off work. Encouraging!
-- Preached in Gettysburg, and was thoroughly blessed to see the brethren there and spend some wonderful time with the Smelsers (spiritual discussions, blogs, and Cake (the band) late at night in the kitchen).
-- Spent one of the more encouraging and exhausting weeks of my life at FC Indiana camp. Opportunities to serve: Teach 13-14 year-old Bible class on Joseph ("In His Time"), lead most of the singing for the week, cabin counselor for 17-18 year-old guys with Dixon Churchill, teach classes on learning hymns and sight-singing, society helper/cheer-teacher for Psi Beta Gamma ("with a baseball bat!"), and reaching out to young people... constantly. SUCH a blessed week. Seeing young people, or just any people, grow and commit to serving the Lord more fully is such a shot in the arm! (So is singing/yelling/jumping your brains out at the Friends show Thursday night of camp, but a different kind of shot in the arm) This was, strangely, my only camp for the summer, but I'm SO blessed to have been in Indiana.
-- Attended the encouraging, gorgeous, God-glorifying wedding of Grady and Erin (Rinehart) Huggins. I was blessed to serve as a groomsman, which meant I got to spend quality time with Eric Huggins, Andrew Huggins, Colton McDaniel, David Smelser, David Watson, Nathan Wolfe, Brett Westbrook, and Craig Dehut (to name a few). The singing and prayer the night before the wedding is a memory I will cherish as long as the Lord lets me.
-- Taught a song-leading/song-worship class. This is a monthly opportunity to help focus our worship to be God-glorifying and some (hopefully) helpful suggestions for song leaders and worshipers.
-- Played some amazing ultimate frisbee with Centreville/Dulles/Annandale brethren/sistren on the lawn around the Washington monument, followed by a patriotic/spiritual singing. Good times.
-- Injured my left knee tendon thing at camp. It's not bad at all until I start running. Which means I haven't run (outside of short sprints in frisbee) in 2 weeks... Lessons in patience for the win!
-- Taught through Hosea 4. Chapters 5-6 tonight! w00t!
-- Purchased a new ukulele. She's a beaut'. And SO much more in tune than the last one (which was a wonderful starter uke).
-- Attended a thoroughly encouraging tent meeting with Josh and Becca McKinsey at the Ferencze's home in NJ. Theme: 1st Century Christianity vs. 21st Century Trends. Speakers: Doug Focht, Scott Smelser, Jeff Smelser, Tim Bunting, and Dan Koen. SO GOOD. So many blessed times with good brethren.
-- Preached on Joseph and Jesus (inspired by camp). The parallels make my head explode. In a wonderfully encouraging way.
-- Taught the high school class on Amos. Cramming a minor prophet into 45 minutes is crazy. But still so helpful! Hosea, you're next week.
-- Been working on time management. Story of my life. Thus the post title.

God is teaching me SO much about His ways right now. The tent meeting in NJ on the trends of our society, being limited to one camp this summer, the direction of different relationships, personal struggles with sin, struggles to help others with their sin... everything around me seems to cry out:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isa 55:8-9)

Whenever we might doubt God's way... just compare it to something. Anything. Once you get past the "but that's not what I expected/wanted/prayed for/think is best" moment, you can see so clearly how superior God's ways are! Any hardship, disappointment, discomfort, or joy (for that matter) that helps us to see that is a blessing. And I've been very blessed (with a perfect mixture of what God knows I need)!

Lord, thank You for the perfect wisdom of Your ways. Thank You even more for recording Your wisdom and giving it to Your servants. We are lost without You.

Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.