It has been too long since I have blogged. I told a lot of you that donated that I would blog about my experiences and I finally got an off day to do it. My experience in Alaska so far has been one of the best summers of my life and that is no joke. I am extremely blessed for this opportunity, and I will share with you guys with what God has been doing in my life and what this summer is all about. For those of you who don't know I am playing for a Christian based team in the Alaskan Baseball League with a group of guys who are serious about their relationship with Christ. We have bible studies a couple times a week and we will have different discipleship leaders come up with Athletes in Action to help us grow in our faith. The goal is to mold us into Godly men. The discipleship leaders hang around at all the games and practices and everyone usually tries to make the opportunity to talk one on one. I got the opportunity to sit down and talk about some of my struggles with one the the leaders who played football at UCLA and had a short stint in the NFL. His name is Corwin. I told him that I was getting kind of discouraged because I didn't have a real solid Christian support system and I didn't come from a Christian background. He told me God called me to be a pioneer, and that I could start a new family legacy, a Christ-centered family. One Godly man can branch off to impact a ton of lives. He told me that I had many spiritual gifts that God could use ot make a huge impact on his kingdom. Corwin's words were very encouraging, and my heart is willing to allow God to do his work in me and he already has. I will share with you all some of the notes I have written down during our bible studies that have really touched my heart.
-You can't have peace without grace.
-People can argue with me about a lot of things, but they can't argue with all that Jesus has done in my life.
-Joy is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ.
-We shouldn't live in circumstances we should live in Christ.
-You can always trust a known God with an unknown circumstance.
-Some of our dreams have to die in order for God's dreams for us to come true,
-A woman of God can be identified by what she flees from, follows after, is faithful to, and what she fights for.
-We can't always follow our emotions, let scripture guide your emotions.
-Don't allow outside circumstances control you. (Alcohol, sex, pornography, marajuana etc)
-My thought process is dictated by where my heart is.
-Jesus didn't take the easy way because he had an intimate relationship with the Father.
-Godly men will do what they have to do regardless of what they want to do.
-When you are in fellowship with God then you are in step with him and your heart's desires are his.
Those are just a few of the phrases that touched my heart, but I also found myself asking myself some serious questions about where my faith lied.
What area of my life am I hesitant on surrendering to Christ?
When people meet me do they get a taste of Jesus?
What are some of the circumstances in my life that can help proclaim the gospel?
Everybody is going to be mastered by something, what am I going to be mastered by?
Do I cause other people to grow bold in their faith?
What comes to mind when people think of me?
Do I cause other people to grow in their faith?
How do I constantly stay in fellowship with God?
-Is my attitude for pleasing sinful nature or pleasing God?
These are all some really good self-evaluation questions that have been hard to answer, but have been very freeing to surrender them to God and allow him to change me into the right person with the right answers to these questions. I still have struggles, but I know the Lord is faithful and just to turn a sinner like me into a Godly man who has a willing heart.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:9
It is impossible to live out your Christian life without the Holy Spirit.
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot recieve, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
John 14:15-17
For me to live is ______ and to die is _______.
Some of you may be familar with this verse, and you can fill in these blanks with anything you want. The only way to complete this sentence, and for it to make sense is how Paul fills it in Phillipians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." That is a powerful statement, and you have to ask yourself, What am I living for? Do I have an eternal perspective? When the time comes when my life is over I want to rest in the fact that I lived for Christ. To live for Christ is to live a life with no regrets.
I could go on and on with all the different things that God is revealing to me and laying on my heart. I am beyond blessed with the opportunity to play the game I love (baseball), grow in Christ, and spend the summer in the prettiest place I have ever been. God is SO good! I am also living with my uncle which has been really great to get to know him a little better. It is crazy how the Lord works. There is one last thing, and it is something I hate doing more than anything and that is asking for money. This is a mission trip so I had to raise a certain amount of money to be able to make this trip possible. The team's funds are short a little over $20,000, and I am short on my part. I have raised $1,150 and I needed to raise $3,850. This covers travel expenses, food, stay, airfare, team expenses etc. I can't thank the people enough who have already donated and I don't expect you to give anymore, but if you haven't please consider investing in my time in Alaska. People are hearing the gospel and God is doing some great things in and through my teammates and I. You can donate at the following link https://my.athletesinaction.org/user/event/Alaska-41493.aspx my code is 21588. Every little bit counts and if you can't donate please keep my team and I in your prayers.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on Earth."
-Matt
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