Day with stones...

Tuesday I took my FM partner to the Asakusa temple.  I have been there so many times the last few years that the images there are engraved in my mind.  This year though God taught me something different through being there.  I was walking through looking at all the statues and for the first time it hit me that God created all of that stone that those idols are made of.  And when He created that stone, He knew which piece would be used for which idol.  He showed me that if we stopped worshipping that the stones those very stones would cry out.  God is so amazing and worthy of all praise.  Its weird to think how those stones people worship....worship and glorify God.  He is above all.  Be in prayer that the people here would see that to.

From the front lines

This is such a different looking summer when it comes to... everything.  There are thirty-seven interns.  His faithfulness amazes me because we started out with only nine my first summer.  It is such a blessing to see how He has grown this ministry.  Its also very different the guys live about an hour and a half away while we still live in the same house that we did last summer.  He is drawing the Jpnese to Himself daily, it is so amazing!  Some one said four this week and around forty for the summer.  My mind is struggling to wrap its mind around that fact.  He is so amazing and perfect, He is going to be God of this city and when that day comes all will bow and acknowledge Him as king.  

He is doing so much and I am learning constantly.  Everyone I talk to in the apt. is teaching me more and more about who He truly is and helping me understand more.  This is a summer where He is capturing my heart in such a way I know there is no other I would ever want to worship.  Sometimes I forget that He loves me too and wants to.  The King of the universe wants to have a personal relationship with me.  The One who died for me on a cross still reaches out to me after all I have done wrong.  This amazing love and compassion I do not understand but know that the only way I can demonstrate that kind of love and compassion is though Him.  I am slowly learning that I can do nothing apart from Him and that I dont want to.  Why waste the energy to try and fight His sovereignty, His perfect will, His perfect plan, and His holiness.    He is Lord of all and we have a opportunity to serve and worship the one true God.

Greater things are to come for this city...

I leave to the city in five days and I think I will be completely honest right now with whoever wants to read this. I feel like I should not be going. That I will be in the way, that my work in there comes later in life after I meet others who want to do the same thing there. For the past four months I have lost so much of my passion for this people group. I have done a good job masking this lost of passion and I wish I could say it was because I feel like He is calling me to another country, but thats not it at all. I have lost my passion and motivation to run after Him, worship Him, and love Him with my whole heart. I have slipped away from that daily relationship since I quit the pharmacy and stopped going to the Monday prayer meetings. During those days I was closer to Him than ever before, and lately its the furthest. I have stopped praying and reading the Word as much. Today I began listening to a worship CD while with Katy and her mom and began worshiping again for the first time in a long time. Praying, deeply praying. So good! Well anyways please be lifting that up.

Completely off subject here is this years theme song Its God of this City by Chris TomliYou're the God of this city
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You Are

Bridge:
For there is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Chorus 1:
Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Verse 2:
You're the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You're the King above all Kings
You Are

You're the strength in our weakness
You're the love to the broken
You're the joy in the sadness
You Are

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Where glory shines from hearts alive
With praise for you and love for you
In this city

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Last year it was Might to Save and people were...this year we are proclaiming Him as God of that city and He is.

Empty driving

So I went to wash my car today and decided to go for a walk around town.  Walked around for about twenty minutes then went and sat at the place I parked my car for about another thirty.  I sat right off the main road where highschool students drive up and down for hours.  At first while sitting there I prayed for the people in those cars, but then my heart began to wonder why no one even stopped to see if I who I was or if I was okay.  Nothing.  Some people would drive by and stare me down, others would just glance then quickly look away, and then some did not even take notice of anything around them except the road in front of them.  Then sitting there praying Father pressed on my heart how so many times He feels the same way.  People "stare" or worship Him at church but then go on.  People glance at Him or just sit in the pew wondering if they should care, no that would be to hard they decide.  Then there are those who go to church thinking about whats for lunch, what they have for homework, or something else like that.  Then Father took it on a bit more personal level.  He was saying...."how many times do you look at me from a distance never daring to come closer.  You see what I have done for you, yet you still glance at Me wondering if you should stop your daily life and trust me all the way.  Then how many times do you become caught up in things of this world that do not even matter and not even look my way.  You go down your own path doing your own thing. I am sitting here waiting for you to come sit with Me.  I am waiting for you to stop living your own life and join the work I have laid out for you."  I challenge you to do the same.  So lets put the car in park and join Dad on the sidewalk!

First try at this...

Well lets see, Sunday I had an amazing opportunity to preach my first sermon.  I was and am amazed at how much it drained me.  I have had such a hard time finding joy in much of anything lately.  Father is changing that though.  As many of you know I currently work at the Pharmacy here in town and He has blessed me with an amazing boss and amazing coworkers.  Lately we have not been able to do anything but talk about the gospel challenging each other to go deeper in the Word.  Several of us are still praying for my town on Monday nights, I am praying that more begin to come.  Also on Thursday's me and two of my friends meet to eat and have a Bible study.  It is so good!  Father is blessing me in so many ways.  My heart longs to be in Japan, working there and being among the people, but I am so grateful that He is allowing me to join in His wonderful work here in the United States as well.  Please be in prayer for the Bible study on Thursdays and the prayer meetings on Mondays.  Well it may be a little rocky but there is my first post.