Monday, July 16, 2007

No one ever said life would be easy

I don't know about you, but no one ever told me that life would be easy. I learned that real quick when I was growing up. I learned that my family wasn't rich, we didn't have all the things that other families had. The funny thing is that I never cared. I knew that we had something that some of those families never had; we had dinner together.
My family ate dinner together at least 5 nights a week. My mom would say that we did this because she doesn't know how to cook and we never had the money for dinner. Every night we ate dinner at my grandma's house. It gave me a time that I could hang out with my family. My grandma would get us there and then shout: "Aubenbrout" which means "dinner" in German.
It was great
Then life went on and we all grew up. I miss eating dinner with my family. Even though life is not always easy, and no one ever said it would be, it is always worth it. I sit on my couch writing this and I am taking a break from doing homework. I think to myself; "Neal, you are 27 years old...you need to be done with homework!" I want to be done, but I know that God has called me to get my degree and I will get it. I will stay focused on the task. I tell myself; "No one ever said being a christian is easy." I think; "Why should it just be easy for me?"
I know that life will never be easy, but I know that it will always be worth it. The great times far out way the hard times and that is why I can take a break, write this and then go back to homework.
God has called me to something and I want to pursue that!

Friday, July 06, 2007

I'm Stoked


So today is July 6th 2007 and I am 27 years right now. In the last week I have gone wakeboarding two times. I was so excited the last time I went I was able to clear the wake almost every time and even landed it. I just wanted to write this not out of pride and a "look what I can do spirit" but out of a "Thank God that I am still alive."
I am so blessed to be alive today. I am so stoked that I get to spend time with High School students and go wakeboarding with them. I am honored that God has called me to serve Him full time in an environment that encourages me to spend time with students and hang out with them. We went out wakeboarding on Monday and it was so amazing. I am once again honored to do what I get to do, to see live change happen before my eyes every day and to know that I am loved by God.
What are you thankful for today?

Monday, July 02, 2007

WOW

The purpose of religion -- at any rate, the Christian religion-- is not to get you into heaven, but to get heaven into you.
-- Frederick Ward Kates