I turned 19 yesterday.

I know it sounds totally cliche, but birthdays are the time of the year for me to reflect, to see how far God has pushed me in the past 365 days. This year, in particular, has been crazy. It was just a year ago today that I had dreams of working in the technology industry… But, like always, my big big dreams never seem to be as big as the absolute and perfect path that God has led me too. He has blessed me with an opportunity to make a decent living, plans for a family, and a new church to grow through Christ with fellow disciples.

He has set me on a new path of life, and he has given me a hunger for his Word and his Spirit… It makes me wonder why people cannot be excited about life, about discovering God, and about leading The Church in a new song!

Last night I spent the last moments of the first day being 19 years old with my brother Josh and his wife Kaitlin. We had a homemade fondue desert at their home and caught up with each other. Josh and Kait gave me the book “Vintage Church” as a birthday gift.

I have to say that after reading the first chapter last night, I love Mark Driscolls writing. He is very scholarly and has a lot of awesome footnotes, which makes further study of these concepts much easier. I will keep an update on some studies on this book, and (of course) through Scripture!

I’m driving in the car, on the way to my first ever cruise! (yeah I’m typing this on my iPhone) I am super excited to take a long needed vacation. After about a year of working full time, I have now understood how important vacation really is. I have a great lineup of reading to cach up on, and I plan to just spend alot of time with Jesus this weekend.
The Holy Spirit has never been so blantantly present as he has this week. I feel called to make plans this weekend. Plans for life, for what is ahead. The book of Proverbs continually mentions the importance of planning, financially, physically, mentally, and spiritually.
I want to thank you Lord Jesus, for continually leading me through a life where I have no idea what is going on most of the time. I would be nowhere without you. Thank you for loving me!

Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
³“Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”

⁴He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶“As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”

While reading scripture, this passage really stuck out for me. Unfortunately… Our world, in all its beauty, is being skewed everyday by Satan. And whilst we have a heavy spiritual war going on constantly, we experience the reality…

It is us against the world… And it is not going to change.

My question for a long time has been the same as king David’s.

Why does it have to be that way?

Lord! I trust you with all that I am, and I know you will guide us in these dark times, as you always have. You are worthy to be praised!

Lord I thirst!

I thirst for something real, not worldly.

I wish to feed my spirit with the bread of life. In desperation I yearn to receive but just a taste of your wholeness.

Your word is a sweet nectar on my lips, a phial of restoration and purity.

…

Too long I have been without you in my conscious mind. Too long I have been in suffocation, without your breath in my lungs, without the consistent out-pour of exhalations that exist to exalt my King. Too long has this trite and stale air been in my mouth.

For too many months I have come to you for selfish motives.

I have turned my blessings into tools of self righteousness…

Into rubbish!

…

Forgive me Lord

Give me your strength to be a man that runs after you Lord, and never looks back.

Give me your wisdom to digest your Word, the Truth, as it has been preserved and God breathed.

Amen.