So I found something interesting this week as I was reading through my journal. Last year on the first entry (July 06), I had just finished reading "If you want to walk on water you've got to get out of the boat" by Jon Ortberg. It's about living my faith. Ortberg asks a question at the end that I wrote down in my first entry: "If your God truly is a big God, and you could ask him to do any one thing in your life, what would it be?" I didn't know what to answer back in July 06. When I finished that journal on July 22, 07, I looked back at that question. Here's a part of my entry on July 22, 07: "Looking back @ the question at the 1st entry of this journal, I would say that the one thing would be to find a job & apartment in New York a week after I get back from vacation." Well, yesterday, on my 6th day back, I signed a lease on an apartment, and I already have a job lined up! Wow! God is crazy-cool!
It's the same apartment that I looked at on Wednesday. Thanks for your prayers. It's a big decision to sign a year-long lease. I'm really going to live in New York - definitely for a year. Now I just need to deal with the details of furnishing the place. All of my furniture is back in Oklahoma of course (I just couldn't fit my bed and dresser in the overhead bins on the plane). It's actually more normal here for people to buy the things they need here and then sell them whenever they move. However, I do still have lots of things back home that I would like to have here (like so many great books - a commentary set I just got for my birthday for one!). Pray that I'll be able to get the things I need whether buying for from home, and that I'll be content with what I have (Philippians 4:12; 1 Timothy 6:6-8).
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I'm Back!
Well, I'm back in New York City. The past two weeks were wonderful! I got to be with my family, both in Oklahoma and in Kansas, and I got to see some friends from Ozark for a few days. I was also able to go to my home church for the first time in almost a year! Being away from home, or ministering at other places has kept me. Once again I was surprised by the weight of support from those at Cedar Ridge. It's not that I didn't think it was possible, but I didn't realize how much God has blessed me. So, to my supporters once again, THANK YOU!
Some of you probably know that I've been looking for an apartment with my roommate. Well, today I looked at one in Brooklyn where a couple at Forefront lives. It's going to be a really nice, new place once it is renovated, it's in a good community, and most important it's at a great price! After looking the place over, the landlord told me that I should let him know by tomorrow afternoon (thursday), because he would be showing it to other people. I'm glad I called him right away! So my roommate and I are going to sleep on it and decide in the morning. We really haven't heard or found of any other apartments like this one - good price, newly renovated, people from Forefront, great price. This really looks like God's provision right now. Over the summer, I've been living in Queens. I don't want to get too much ahead of myself, but how could God work through me with my landlord or with my neighbors if I went to this place in Brooklyn? To quit rambling, would you pray for me and my roommate, that God would give us wisdom about this? I know that some of you have already been praying about this. Perhaps this is the answer, or perhaps it will come later. Either way, I'm excited to see where God leads. Thanks.
Some of you probably know that I've been looking for an apartment with my roommate. Well, today I looked at one in Brooklyn where a couple at Forefront lives. It's going to be a really nice, new place once it is renovated, it's in a good community, and most important it's at a great price! After looking the place over, the landlord told me that I should let him know by tomorrow afternoon (thursday), because he would be showing it to other people. I'm glad I called him right away! So my roommate and I are going to sleep on it and decide in the morning. We really haven't heard or found of any other apartments like this one - good price, newly renovated, people from Forefront, great price. This really looks like God's provision right now. Over the summer, I've been living in Queens. I don't want to get too much ahead of myself, but how could God work through me with my landlord or with my neighbors if I went to this place in Brooklyn? To quit rambling, would you pray for me and my roommate, that God would give us wisdom about this? I know that some of you have already been praying about this. Perhaps this is the answer, or perhaps it will come later. Either way, I'm excited to see where God leads. Thanks.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Joy and Grief
I'm coming home on Tuesday! I'm super excited! I'm going to be in Broken Arrow for two weeks, form August 7-21. I'm looking forward to having a good break. I only had one week between graduation and moving to New York. Now I get to have a break from always having something pressing to do or someone to see. I'm hoping to go to Kansas this next weekend and to Joplin on the 20th to see friends from Ozark.
On a more serious tone, I just received an e-mail about a friend of mine, Patricia, who recently suffered a brain aneurysm. She played piano at 1st Christian in Miami, OK, where I preached during the spring semester. It has been a hard season for her recently anyway as her husband, Nate, passed away in the Fall. Every time I spoke with Patricia she encouraged me with her faithfulness to God. Whether wet or dry eyes, she was either praising God for his faithfulness to her in the midst of grief or she was concerned about others who didn't know God's love. It pains me to hear that she is having to undergo surgeries, and will probably not be able to live by herself again. But with Patricia's same spirit, I believe that God is faithful to his people. Soon I will be able to worship before the throne of the lamb with both Nate and Patricia where there will be no more sickness, pain, tears or death. How great is our God! Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
On a more serious tone, I just received an e-mail about a friend of mine, Patricia, who recently suffered a brain aneurysm. She played piano at 1st Christian in Miami, OK, where I preached during the spring semester. It has been a hard season for her recently anyway as her husband, Nate, passed away in the Fall. Every time I spoke with Patricia she encouraged me with her faithfulness to God. Whether wet or dry eyes, she was either praising God for his faithfulness to her in the midst of grief or she was concerned about others who didn't know God's love. It pains me to hear that she is having to undergo surgeries, and will probably not be able to live by herself again. But with Patricia's same spirit, I believe that God is faithful to his people. Soon I will be able to worship before the throne of the lamb with both Nate and Patricia where there will be no more sickness, pain, tears or death. How great is our God! Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Mike
So tonight, Tim invited me to eat dinner with a friend of his from church, Aaron, who is moving to Arizona tomorrow - a sort of "last hurrah." (Tim payed for me (thanks Tim!) so I happily went). We ate at a place called Dallas BBQ in Times Square. The craziest part was listening to Tim and our friend argue about computer operating systems (Windows vs. Mac), programing stuff, and binary code. They were getting pretty passionate, and I didn't understand a lick of it. They were definitely being nerds - but where would we be without the internet and their genius creating it?
Well, that was just for fun. Here's the really cool part of the night. On the way home from dinner, we met a guy named Mike on the subway. He was sitting beside us and heard our conversation. I guess he's a friendly guy, so he threw open the door and added a comment. We ended up starting a conversation about what we do and where we're from. Then Mike asked how we knew each other: from Forefront. He said that he was Lutheran and had been looking for a church. We told him about Forefront, and he asked for the address twice to make sure he got it. So, maybe he'll be there on a Sunday.
Earlier in the evening our friend Aaron used a phrase to speak of New York: "a community of strangers." That's really what New York City can be, a community of strangers. I really think that this can be the loneliest place on earth. With all our wealth, we don't need anyone and can fade into the crowds.
Pray for Mike, that he may get involved in a church. Pray for me that I would not become secluded, but would reach out to others.
Well, that was just for fun. Here's the really cool part of the night. On the way home from dinner, we met a guy named Mike on the subway. He was sitting beside us and heard our conversation. I guess he's a friendly guy, so he threw open the door and added a comment. We ended up starting a conversation about what we do and where we're from. Then Mike asked how we knew each other: from Forefront. He said that he was Lutheran and had been looking for a church. We told him about Forefront, and he asked for the address twice to make sure he got it. So, maybe he'll be there on a Sunday.
Earlier in the evening our friend Aaron used a phrase to speak of New York: "a community of strangers." That's really what New York City can be, a community of strangers. I really think that this can be the loneliest place on earth. With all our wealth, we don't need anyone and can fade into the crowds.
Pray for Mike, that he may get involved in a church. Pray for me that I would not become secluded, but would reach out to others.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The end is near
The summer is coming to an end. We had our last mission team with us this week from Plainview, IN. They are a great team, and have done a great job serving the city of New York. It's kind of neat that they have a diversity of ages from 20's to 60's!
Tomorrow is Forefront's first time in the new space at the Blender Theater. We had a "run-through" of all the setup on Thursday night, so that on Sunday it's not total chaos. There's a lot to do - set up all the chairs, the stage, communion tables, welcome stuff, coffee and bagels, all the kidstuf and nursery, and signs - to name a few. I'm pretty excited. We had 250 last week (a record I believe) and we're hoping that the momentum will continue into the move.
It's really starting to get to me that I'll be living in New York after the internship is over. A few days ago, Tim found a dresser on the sidewalk that was destined for the dumpster. It only has some minor things wrong with it, most of which can be fixed. And it matches the wooden wardrobe that Tim has let me use. (Yes, they're both Ikea)! It's exciting, but the only thing is that I still need to find enough work while I'm here. And of course, we're on the apartment hunt.
Moving to New York also makes me think about other things. I feel lonely sometimes. I really feel it as school is starting soon. College seems almost like a dream sometimes. I'm far from home and will have to continue to build relationships. But Jesus never said that following him would be easy or that everything would go my way! I know that what he has planned is best.
Thanks everybody for all your prayers.
Tomorrow is Forefront's first time in the new space at the Blender Theater. We had a "run-through" of all the setup on Thursday night, so that on Sunday it's not total chaos. There's a lot to do - set up all the chairs, the stage, communion tables, welcome stuff, coffee and bagels, all the kidstuf and nursery, and signs - to name a few. I'm pretty excited. We had 250 last week (a record I believe) and we're hoping that the momentum will continue into the move.
It's really starting to get to me that I'll be living in New York after the internship is over. A few days ago, Tim found a dresser on the sidewalk that was destined for the dumpster. It only has some minor things wrong with it, most of which can be fixed. And it matches the wooden wardrobe that Tim has let me use. (Yes, they're both Ikea)! It's exciting, but the only thing is that I still need to find enough work while I'm here. And of course, we're on the apartment hunt.
Moving to New York also makes me think about other things. I feel lonely sometimes. I really feel it as school is starting soon. College seems almost like a dream sometimes. I'm far from home and will have to continue to build relationships. But Jesus never said that following him would be easy or that everything would go my way! I know that what he has planned is best.
Thanks everybody for all your prayers.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Forefront Church Setup Video
Here's a video that the church made a while ago to encourage people to get involved. It makes me really excited when I watch it. Anyway, it's a snapshot of what happens before services every Sunday.
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