Who are you playing for?

As a soon to be English teacher, I love it when God demonstrates elements of literature! (Forgive me for my corniness, it's early and I haven't had any coffee yet) God is ironic. How is God ironic you might ask...well, last night I was talking to Will and out of the blue he asked me who my favorite athlete of all time was. That was def. a tough questions, but I quickly thought of the Atlanta Braves I watched growing up, with my late grandpa. Those athletes brought back memories that I will always cherish, besides that John Smoltz and Greg Maddux are pretty baller!
So this morning I started surfing some blogs that always seem to spur me spiritually. I started at Perry's blog because he just seems to see God everywhere and it blows me away, the ways that he hears and sees God even in the monotony of the day most take for granted. So Perry's last blog had a funny comment about Brad Cooper which lead me to Brad's blog. Ok...here comes the ironic part. I was reading through some of Brad's blogs when I came upon this video of John Smoltz.


Dude...I didn't even know he was Christian! So, while it was cool to find out that my fav. athlete of all time loves Jesus, it aso challenged me. The way he uses his talent in every capacity and plays for an audience of one really made me stop and think...who am I playing for?

Me?

Do you ever look up at God and say, "Who, me?!" Lately, I've had quite a few of those moments, but tonight probably had to be my biggest. My loving, awesomely incredible fiance informed me, with full confidence, of God's calling on his life. I'm not going to share it just yet because I'm not sure he's ready for the world to know, but please be praying that God gives him wisdom and clarity as he pursues this calling. Pray that God gives me a faith-filled heart. Pray that God will change my heart and make me worthy of the calling. Thanks!

Wow

So, yet again, it has been a while since I've posted, but student teaching and wedding planning has caused life to blow by at break neck speeds. I really don't even have time to be doing this right now, but something so outrageously awesome happened in my life tonight that I could not, ABSOLUTELY could not pass up the chance to share it tonight.

Our service at Student Ministry tonight was about the book of Revelation, three things we should learn from it. One of the things was that Jesus is coming back, I know--something, I've always known, but presented and made real to me in a way that I hadn't considered in a LONG time. Brad Cooper, one of our youth pastors shared the truth of heaven and hell in such a powerful way that I was completely overwhelmed for the souls of those who were lost. He described those who don't know Christ as lost in a burning building while we know the way out. I realized in that moment that I am just standing on the curb watching people that I love burn. I am standing by and, quite honestly, telling them to go to hell while I rest on my blessed assurance and bask in my salvation. I know that is a lot to chew on, but this is not where the heart wrenching conviction really struck me.
While I was washed in the truth and inspired by the message during the time that I was still in the building, it wasn't until my drive home that God poured some frapping amazing knowledge on my heart. I was praying for my students at Palmetto and began to weep for their souls. I cried out to God and asked him if I could take their place. I wept and begged God to make me the lowest servant I could be, to give me patience and the capacity to love them despite how they try me...and then it hit me. What I was feeling at that moment was not even a fraction of what Christ felt before he went to the cross. I don't say what I prayed to bring glory to myself, but to show the depth of the love that Christ showed for each one of us. I didn't even realize the depth of what I was saying, but I knew that what I was praying was the outcry of my heart. Hearing God speak to my heart and show me why I was feeling what I was feeling was completely astonishing. The clarity and peace I felt at that moment was phenomenal. While I want to show my kids that love of Christ each day and attempt to SHOW them the gospel, I want to boldy proclaim Christ's death and resurrection without the fear of being fired or losing the job I've been promised for next year. So, if you're reading this and your pray, pray for me to be bold and share the gospel (with wisdom and respect). Losing your job is such a small sacrifice compared to handing naked on a cross. God will provide. Don't lose heart.

A BIG YEAR

2008 is going to be an absolutely stinking HUGE & SLAM PACKED year for me. I graduate, get a job, influence young people, and get married...all within ONE year. Can you believe it? Wow. I'm pretty blown away. Thinking about this new year and what's to come I've decided to change a few things. No, not New Year's resolutions...those get broken--I said CHANGES. So here are the big changes that I want you as my readers (whoever you are) to keep me in check with. My email is mhendricks1781@andersonuniversity.edu feel free to email me and ask me how I'm doing.

Changes for 2008:
1. Share the gospel every chance I get.

2. Love with all of got. (Esp. my fab fiance)

3. Find a hobbie that I really love and do it often.

4. Eat food that is good for me. (Try to balance my diet...no, I did not say DIET, I said balance my diet, aka eat right)

5. Get fit. I mean REALLY fit, like when I played volleyball.

What do you want to change this year?

The Best is Yet to Come

Yesterday I wrote about putting up a monument for God and lately God's been showing me that I should reflect on the things that he's done in my life, the miracles he's performed and how far I've come. Sadly, while reflecting on these awesome moments in my life I felt hopeless. I've felt like I've already peaked and I'm just on my way out with nothing to look forward to. Approaching my graduation date, I don't want to leave college because it has been the best time of my life. Suffice it to say, I've been a bit nastalgic and unwilling to face the days to come. I prayed yesterday that my life would daily step closer to God and that I would reach the relationship that I once had with him. So I've thought a lot about what I did in the past and how I grew closer to God. This morning my awesome, powerful and wonderous God gave an answer during the 11:00 service @ church (NewSpring).

Ironically, this morning, Perry talked about how God is moving in amazing ways and that our best days are yet to come. He spoke from Exodus about the attitude of the Israelites and their relationship with God. He led them out of slavery, equipped them for life in the dessert, and led them by a pillar of clouds in the day and a pillar of fire at night. He didn't take them directly to their desination, but he took them by the way that he knew best. He loved his children, just as he loves me. He wants to do great things in my life, even after I've slipped, he loves me and he wants to see great things in my life. He wants to lead me to the promised land--an abundant life, serving him. If you want to pray for me, please pray that God would keep my feet on his path, that he would strengthen me, and that I would have an unquenchable desire to know him more and serve him selflessly. Also pray that I would not be distracted because when God moves, Satan moves to take our eyes off of Jesus. Pray that my eyes are captivated by the beauty of his face and that I would not come down from the wall (if you don't get that reference, check out Nehemiah...it's a pretty baller book). I'll leave you with a little hope from the Godbreathed lyrics of MercyMe's Hold Fast

To everyone who's hurting
To those who've had enough
To all the undeserving
That should cover all of us
Please do not let goI
promise there is hope
Hold fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strifeI
s His grasp
So hold fast
Will this season ever pass?
Can we stop this ride?
Will we see the sun at last?
Or could this be our lot in life?
Please do not let go
I promise you there's hope
You may think you're all alone
And there's no way that anyone could know
What you're going through
But if you only hear one thing
Just understand that we are all the same
Searching for the truth
The truth of what we're soon to face
Unless someone comes to take our place
Is there anyone?
All we want is to be free
Free from our captivity, Lord
Here it comes fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing stronger than my strife
Is Your grasp
So hold fast
Help is on the way
So hold fast He's come to safe the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is Your grasp
To hold fast