Caught up in the flesh.

Being a Christian is an awesome journy, but no one said that it was easy. So many times people look at Christian and think say that "they have it easy" or "they dont understand anything". Statements like these are ridiculous. We for sure no what is going on, and we for sure dont have it easy. 

Walking the life that we are called to walk takes courage, strength, and most of all faith. We are called to stand up for what we belive in, and face challanges head on. We should not turn away from them like cowards. Confroting situations is hard. No one likes to do it. But that is what we are called to do sometimes. We are called to have strength and not back down from hard situations. We need to stand firm in what we believe in. We need to not bend on certain subjects and have the will power to withstand temptation. And above all we need to have faith. There are going to be times when we fall short.  When we fall. But we need to have faith in our Lord that he will bring us back out of that darkness. He will lead us, and guide us hand in hand with him. We are human it is going to happen. Is that to say that we should not strive for perfection..... NO. We are called to strive for that. But when we do fall we need to rely on him. We dont need to dwell on our sins because we are fogiven. It is hard. We get caught up in our fleshly desires. But that is not what we want. We are designed for much, much more. Struggles and temptaions are going to come our way, and we are going to fall. But it is how we deal with the sin that is going to define us as Christians. 

Everlasting Beauty

I wanted to write today because i feel the urge to share something that is always on my heart. Its something that takes my breath away daily. It has impacted my life in so many ways and will continue to do so for all eternity. I am talking about the Everlasting Beauty that is Jesus Christ. 

I have grown so much this summer in my reltionship with Christ. I look back and realize that this summer has been so different and blessed in so many different ways. I realize that this has been the best summer of my life. I have grown closer to friends, i have gotten to go to alaska and see beauty that some people only dream to see, i have become closer to family,  i have an amazing girl in my life. But above all i am closer to my Lord and Savior. I have grown my leaps and bounds this summer. Every year i feel like i have grown. But this summer i feel like i grew up and that my love for my Father in heaven is greater than ever. I have delt with plaguing sins and i now realize that my Father has cast them away. They will never return to me again. 

I am a weak coward. I dont deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Jesus Christ. I dont deserve to wash his feet. At the site of temptation, or hardships i run away and hide. But with my father guiding me, and me standing by his side i am transformed. I stand tall. I am brave and courageous. He makes me a man. He makes me what i am meant to be. If i live for him i feel amazing. I feel like darkness will never touch me. The strength that runs through my veins is so powerful. God is truly amazing. He has brought me out of dark places and has welcomed my back with open arms. I have betrayed him many times and he has cried because of it, but he will never forsake me. 

I am so underserving. It brings me to my knees sometimes and i feel so dirty, and disgusting. But God does not look at me in that light. He lifts me up. I need him, i want him, i lean on him. He is my rock and my salvation. He hass carried me to the table and put me where i dont belong. He is truly amazing. 

This is the everlasting beauty that i am talking about. It is what i am so passionate about. It takes my breath away, and brings me to my knees. He is so beautiful. He has stolen my heart. He holds my hand and comforts me. I see him every day. His grace is so amazing. My God is so beautiful and powerful and wonderful. I love my God, i will love him forever. 

"I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip- He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed he who watches over Israeli will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm- he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.----Psalm 121

Bryan Oakley is AMAZING!!

Today i was in Charlotte all day. Bryan has been staying at my house this week because he is working at a tennis camp. So he stays over due to gas. I came home from my day in Charlotte. I came up stairs and sat down in my usual seat and got on my laptop. Then bryan said hey i got something for you. I want you to read this. Then he gave me a sheet of paper and on it was the following....

Within my book of memoreis

Are special thoughts of you

And all the many nice things

You often say and do 

As i turn the pages

And recall each single thought,

I realize the happiness

That knowing you has brought 

This book is filled with magic

That only you can make

Our friendship is magic

Something that will never break

As this book is written

With many good times to come

Each page makes us stronger

And soon our friendship will bench 468 lbs

Even when somebody treats me like the Roman Emperor Nero

I know that i can always come to you, my guitar hero

The friendship that we have is a supernatural bond, and it is....

Go look under the guest bed. 

So i then proceded to go to the guest bedroom. I bet down and pulled up the bed skirt. I looked under and i saw something amazing. It was a freaking JOHNNY CUPCAKES BOX!! I was so excited. I grabed the box and went back down the hall and opened it up. It was s shirt that i mentioned i liked a long time ago. He remembered and purchased it for me. If you want to view it go to www.johnnycupcakes.com and look at the shirt with the blue monster behind the fence. I was so excited. 

Bryan is an awesome friend and im so thankful that he is in my life. I can always come to him for advice, and talk about issues with him. Every day i thank God that he is such a good friend to me. I have known him since Sophmore year of highschool and plan on knowing him the rest of my life. 

Thanks Bryan Oakley for all the good times, and memories. 

RECORDING!!!!!

What is up my dear friends, and readers of my blog. There has not been alot going on recently. I am kinda just chillin out and waiting to go back to the great university of ECU. That is partly why i have not been blogging recently. But i am actually doing something really awesome right now and that is why i have decided to blog. Becuase i have something that is worth blogging about. 

I am actually in Conover NC and i am in the studio recording a demo with some awesome friends. Phil, has been writing some music recently. We got together and practiced and came up to the studio with jason piland and tyler dunlap to lay down a couple of demos. Recording has gone great. I think who ever chooses to listen will enjoy the music. It is alot more listener friendly than our old stuff that we used to play. I think those who listen that used to hear phil and I play our older stuff will be quite suprised at the change.

The band is known as making history. It is a pretty cool little project. Lyrics are pretty insightful, and it is good music to just sit back and chill and listen. We will have a myspace up soon and there will be demos up, Pics, and a video that is documenting the recording. So be on the look out for it. 

Thanks for reading, and sorry that i have not posten in a while. LOVE AND HUGS!!

God??? A wuss??? SHOOT!!! YOU CRAZY!!!!

Hey there friends. I just want to say that this has been a great weekend, and good times. Friends have came and visited and it was so good to see everyone. I enjoyed every second of it. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with awesome people in my life. It is great to have people surounding you that can you build you up, and make you a stronger person. 

So anyway. I am sure that you are wondering about the title of my blog tonight. Well I was doing my devotional and it was talking about God being a lamb, and a lion. And it just made me start to think about how many times that we see God in a light that he is so loving and careing. And he is certainly all of those wonderful things, and it is awesome that he is that. BUT!! At the same time he is a lion. And we forget that as well. 

I was reading in the book of revelation. I mean you usually dont read in that book but the devotional that i am doing directed me in that direction. AND IT WAS AWESOME!!! It had all these verses showing me that God is indeed a lion. Let me just quote a verse for you.

Revelation 14:9-11

   A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and recieves his mark on the forehead, or on the hand , he too, will drink of the wine of Gods fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tourmented with burning sulfer in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their tourment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who recieves the mark of his name."

WOW!!! I mean it doesnt sound like God is playing any games. I mean He pretty much is showing us that he hates sin, and hates the devil and look what happens if you follow him. Not only will you sufer but God himself will stand be side the edge of the lake of fire and you watch you in tourment. I mean pretty epic. God is indeed Epic. I like how it doesnt describe him as a lion when he is standing and watching. It describes him as a Lamb. I mean Imagine what he must be like when he is a Lion. 

All i know is that im glad my God is EPIC!!! Im so glad that my God doesnt play games. So next time someone says that your God is weak. Or says that he never shows anger. You might want to take them to this passage and let them see how freaking Epic your God really is. 

Mike is the coolest ever...

Hello, all. 

This is Sandy in place of Michael Stemler. Let me tell you, we just had the most awesome weekend ever at his casa in Concord. 

Heather, Laura, Quinny, Ythol, Yaron, Andy, and I all came down from Raleigh to hang out with Mike before the summer ended. Last year, some of us did the same thing and visited Mike and went to Carowinds and since it was so much fun, we did it again this year. 

We drove down yesterday and had a beautiful dinner of enchilladas and dump cake. Baller. It's so much fun with everyone being together. Basically, we have the best group of friends in the history of mankind. No joke.

Today we got up early to head to the wonderful land of Carowinds. We spend all day running around the park, taking silly pictures, going on roller coasters, screaming our hearts out, and venturing to the water park. Needless to say, we left exhausted. After a few naps and showers, Aaron and Baird arrived to hang out with us for a few hours, being so close to the area. We had some great food at Foster's Grill. Lots of good times. Tomorrow's church then we head home. 

Thanks for the fabulous weekend, great food, and good times at su casa, Mike. I speak for everyone when I say, we love you lots and lots. You are awesome. 

:)

Three Kings

So let me frist start out by saying that I had an amazing weekend. I got to go to Raleigh and see my Heather. Every moment i spend with her i feel like God keeps strengthening our relationship. Keeping God at the center of our relationship is a huge priority to both of us. I am so thankful for that. I know that if he remains the center and we both grow close to him while we grow closer together God will bless our relationship in ways we never imagined. I loved spending time with Heather this weekend and being a goober face. I got to meet her amazing friends, and dine at the great establishment known as good berrys. I got to go to church with her and her family and that was great. So thanks Heather for a great weekend. 

Today I was talking to my good friend blake oakley. I told him that i was looking for a good devotional and some good books to read until the end of the summer. I thought that he was just going to write some stuff down for me to look at. I came downstairs and he had three books for me. He said that i could boorrow them for as long as i needed too.

These are the three books that blake gave me to read. My utmost for my highest by oswald chambers is a daily devotional. Seeing and Savoring Christ by john piper is another devotional that you could do daily but is pretty in depth and is filled with refrences to verses in the Bible. A tale of three kings is a really easy read and is written as a play. It helps relate to brokeness and how we as christians have to go through pain and suffering. I am so excited to read all of these books. I began reading them all today and it was great. So i sugest that if you are looking for some good books to read you should check out these books.