A years start to a lifetime of greater things.

What a year!

       Its crazy to thing something that feels like just yesterday was actually six months ago. Its crazy to think that six months ago everything was uncertain. Six months ago loading up my dads diesel dually, and figuring out how to get my car on the tow dolly correctly, Six months ago looking at my empty room while memories flooded my mind of all the good times I’d had at that house since we moved in there. From first grade to March of 2011 a lot has happened, both emotionally and physically. I remember when I was in first grade thinking about how far finishing school and getting my drivers license seemed.

     I started looking for a job when I was 15 but didn’t get one until I was 16, I also got my license two months before my job in 2009. From 2009-2011 I took a building trades course at Penn High school, it was during my junior and senior year in high school. I had a life changing experience at a church camp in August of 2010 where God showed me a vision of what I was going to be doing and audibly heard what He wanted me to share.

      I began to search for college’s and asked my pastor if he had any great ideas. I didn’t want to go to just any Bible college, I wanted to go to one that used the Bible as their main text book and believed in the power of prayer and the importance of grace and faith. The moment I went on the web site for Charis Bible College I knew that’s where God was leading me. I saw they were having an event called campus days and got my parents to agree to going on a vacation to check it out. When I left campus days in March of 2011 I was graduated from college and had an application submitted to attend the following September.

        In June of 2011 I quit my job at Chick-fil-A and got a job that worked me 10-12 hours a day or more, pay was better but was tougher than I had expected. Went by faith and found a temporary place to stay in Colorado, and in August of 2011 quit my job at Meijer Central warehouse and spend the rest of my 3 weeks in Indiana with family and friends.
      

         Now I’m back where I started this blog, I’m here in Colorado and have been for six months. These past six months cant even come close to comparing what all I have done in a year. The physical doesn’t compare to the spiritual and the struggles don’t compare to the blessings. In six months I have accomplished more than ever, I’m so blessed to have the friends I’ve made here, the places I’ve lived but none of that compares to what God has done in me spiritually. I’m planning on being here for 3 more years and if God tells me then I’ll be here for a total of 5 years. I’m excited to see what all God is going to do while I’m here and what He has for after college. I pray that your lives will be blessed more than mine, and that you too will find who God really is. It takes a trust in God to have faith, and a faith in what God is doing to trust Him. God Bless and thanks for reading!

Tyler Showers

Will you get in the Limo? Gods holding the door.

Getting in the Limo
       I’ve had my times of doubt, wondering what I’m doing thinking I was crazy for moving here. I could be back home working at a job that paid the best out of all the jobs I’ve had, plenty of hours, and was permanent. Sometimes I think how I’m going to provide tuition and rent, buy food and gas. I don’t have all the answers. There are questions in this life that I wish I had the answers too, questions that seem like if I had the answers life would be so much more care free.

    I began my journey back in august of 2010, I was lost and hurting but God kept calling out to me. They say here at the college that you may think you found God but really He found us. That reigns so true in my life. Even though every time something went wrong and I blamed God He still kept calling me. I would constantly hear “Do you trust me.” I never understood why, why would a perfect God want someone like me. Someone who by law has led a perfect life, by Gods standard should be rejected. I was never perfect, always leading a double life, living with one foot in the world and one foot on Gods side. I was sitting on the fence not wanting to go all in either way.  I didn’t realize until I got here that the fence satan owns. The fence is where the devil laughs, because we think we aren’t on his side but we are. We think that since we aren’t in the world we’re okay. We need to decide whether or not we’re going to live for God or not at all. With God there is no gray area only black or white. The good news is that God sent His only son Jesus to die on a cross to save us from destruction and eternal horror. When Jesus died on a cross He took all our sins past or present with Him to hell and left them there. We no longer need to feel condemnation for what we’ve done. Condemnation is from the devil, it drags us down and makes us feel unworthy to be called Gods children. I was living there for so long, I felt condemned for my actions, words, and habits.

     I grew up in a great home, I grew up in the church and was taught from the beginning the difference between right and wrong. But because we are all born with a sinful nature my flesh would always go for the wrong, always lusting after the things of this world. Lust isn’t always wanting or looking at a person of the opposite sex, its anything that our flesh desires. A lot of our lust does come from the eyes but its also a lust for money, power, and possessions. Lust is anything that our hearts desire, it can be alcohol, pornography, drugs, and people.

     One side of my double life was the worlds, every day from Monday to Saturday. Wednesday was a break because of church but besides Sunday I really wasn’t living for God. And even on Sunday I was just going through the motions. I wasn’t out partying, smoking or drinking. I wasn’t out committing sexual intercourse but the further I went away from my walk with Christ the more my flesh desired that closeness. I thought that those things would fill a void in my soul. I would always have big long conversations with my mom and dad where it would end in me breaking down and crying and I would try for a while but always come up short. My junior year in high school was a downward spiral, I started taking a Building Trades course at the local high school. I was never actually exposed to drugs and so much talk about alcohol and perversion, I was aware but never around it. I started swearing more than I ever did, the anger that I always had a tough time controlling magnified to a dangerous level. I was hurting, searching in places that could maybe help because church and God didn’t seem to cut it.

    
           This is my situation, I’m empty and feel lost. I try to get back to God but because of condemnation I keep falling. I’m currently not caring about the way I talk or act, and I didn’t care if I died. Church was giving me no fulfillment, it was just a place to go to feel even more rejected and unwanted. The way I talked slowly perverted my mind and actions, I felt dirty inside because of the way I thought and felt. The military looked like a better way to end it all, I couldn’t commit suicide. I didn’t know what to believe, I asked Jesus into my heart after watching the first left behind movie November of 2001 and water baptized in 2006 so I believed I could still go to heaven but deep down I was scared to die. I had my friends that got my mind off of the dirt and junk I felt, all this in my junior year in high school.

     Most of my senior year went the same way, except it changed for the better towards the end. Because I didn’t care I was severely behind in my school, I wasn’t going to be done until the start of when normal seniors head to college. There wasn’t anyone to blame but myself and I was reaping my actions. Through everything God still kept calling out to me saying “do you trust me,” it became even more audible and frequent.  I started to wonder if maybe it wasn’t God causing my problems, maybe it was me that was destroying my life because of my flesh. We started going to a different church where I am greatly joyed to actually be able to call it a home, and the pastor Rodger Cook a friend and a mentor, someone I could look up too and learn from. A pastor that wasn’t untouchable like all the pastors from the past, everything He said made sense and made me long for more. My life suddenly had meaning and purpose, even though I was still wondering what God really had for me. I started reading my bible and things made sense, things came together instead of looking like a bunch of words. I finally realized that God wanted me to trust Him and that everything was going to be okay. If I actually gave Him all things and laid everything I had 100% at His feet, He would be there for me no matter what.  That started my search and desire for what God placed in my heart, a dream that now felt reachable. I looked into several colleges, my pastor gave me some ideas for colleges and gave me some names. I looked up Charis Bible College and it stood out among the rest. I found out about their event they call campus days where you come and experience it firsthand. I left Colorado with an application turned in and a future that excited me.

     This is where I currently am, sitting in an amazing house almost in the mountains and loving every minute I’m here. It’s not always easy and there is always a new level of trust that is added to my faith every day, but I know provision is here. I can’t keep my focus on where I would be right now back in Indiana, this is my home right now. As I try to figure out what I’m doing over the summer I’m excited either way, if I have to go back home then I know a job will be provided that I can pay my tuition in full next year, that will provide me a stable foundation for the following year. It will give me a chance to be back with my family and reconnect with my friends that I haven’t seen in a while. If I get to stay here over the summer it’ll be the same way. I’ll have a new place to stay and a job that will provide full tuition and a stable foundation to live on. I’m excited to see where God is going to lead me and I cant wait to earn my full inheritance here on earth. Every day is new revelation, every day is a new depth of focus, a new outlook, a new chance to let God help me out of a wreak of lost focus on the drive of my life and open the door to a brand new limo headed towards greater things.

   
           I want to thank you all for the prayers and support through my journey. I want to thank all of my friends who have been there for me in in the past and my family for sticking by my side. I want to let you know that God is there in front of you holding the door open to your own limo to take you on your most amazing journey you could ever ask for. He gave us a free will, He won’t make you get in it’s your choice. If you choose to climb in you won’t regret it, even when it’s hard and you feel like giving up Gods always there. Do you trust God enough to leave all the junk and hurt to get in and start living? My prayer is that all who read this are somehow impacted, and if you read it and don’t get anything out of it that’s okay because it blesses me to write it. Thanks again and God Bless!

Another New Year, another year to change and to make changes.

“A New Year, a time to change and to make changes”        

           As I write this it’s almost the end of the first day of a new year. A time where people make resolutions for weight loss, better relationships, better attitudes. But all through the past year how many have kept it? Not many.  So why keep making a promise to yourself when you know you won’t be able to keep it?

            Over the past couple of weeks or months I’ve seen nothing but a lot of drama towards fellow brothers or sisters in Christ. Why do we have so much resentment towards others when we are supposed to love one another as Christ loved us? Does anyone think that Jesus went around the earth holding grudges to those who offended him? No, He went around loving and healing all that were oppressed. So what is the heart of all the drama? What continues to fuel the very thing that rips friendships apart? There are many things like maybe your friend has a friend that you hate, and because you don’t like their friends than you’ll hold back. Or another one like relationships, now this is a big one and I’ll take some time with it. I’m currently reading a book called “I kissed dating goodbye” by Joshua Harris, and everything in that book so far has changed the way I look at a relationship.
           The book isn’t about never dating, it’s about changing the way you look at relationships to where its God centered and focused on a God kind of love. Instead of looking at a girl with the intent of dating and having physical relations with, it talks about centering a relationship off of friendship. I hear people say that it would be weird to marry your best friend, but isn’t it better to marry you best friend than a total stranger? When dating its mostly fast paced, no time to get to know each other. No time to learn each other’s likes or dislikes passions or desires. There’s no time to learn about the person and to study who you’re with. Dating and relationships are like a big test. If you don’t study for them you’ll fail. Just like if you don’t take time to get to know someone before you’re with them you’ll fail. There will just be two people trying to pick up pieces and starting over. Or in a relationship you may be studying but more on the physical side. The book talks a lot about physical purity and how high God holds it. You may have not ran all the bases as people say but the Bible says that even if you look at a woman with lust, you’ve already committed adultery in your heart. |

    So through what you’ve read so far, how many of you have resentment or drama towards someone else because of a relationship? There is way too much of this going on in the body of Christ, and even at my college. I came here with a focus of God and only God, but it’s so easy to get sucked into this guy is with this girl, and this girl wants the same guy. Or there’s five guys wanting one girl. It’s ridiculous really how people can bring up judgment and drama towards another when they are jealous. I don’t mean to say that I’m perfect because I’ve done the same thing. But honestly I got tired of it, I got so caught up in that that I lost my main focus on coming to Charis. I told everyone that I didn’t know what my problem was but inside I knew. I got to the point where I was driving home one night crying out to God and telling Him that I rather be in His will and single for the rest of my life than be in a relationship and be out of His will. That’s a little extreme and I know that that’s not what God has in mind for me but I know I needed to give all of that to God and let Him know once again that I want to be sold out for Him, I want to earn my full inheritance here on earth. I needed to admit my wrong and give my passion to Him. God gave us all a free will to do whatever we want, but we need to set that aside and say God lead me, I’ll follow. You are the driver and I’ll sit in the back and do what I need to do to get to where you want me to go. We will stumble, we will reach forward and grab the wheel and crash. But God is there waiting for us to climb out of the rubble no matter how serious, get into a brand new car and keep going. I told someone the other day that I rather have a bunch of sisters in Christ than a bunch of memories I’d wished I could forget. I rather have the good out way the bad. I wonder what most people’s reason for going to Charis is. Is it to have relationships with the opposite sex, or is it to truly have a relationship with Christ? I rather look back at my time at Charis and see good things, not a bunch of bad feelings and memories. I’m not making a resolution for the right relationship with a girl, I’m going to leave that up to God. I’m not making any resolution this year, I’m only shifting my focus towards God over a relationship. I know that once I’m ready for a relationship the right one will come, but until I can keep my focus on God while being with a girl it won’t ever work. 

        

            Thanks again for reading what I have to say. I hope that people can take some stuff to heart. You don’t have to agree with everything I say, but I hope it changes the way you look at how things can affect everyone. And that if a relationship takes your focus off God, then it’s either too early or just not Gods plan. Hope you all have a great new year! God Bless!

God's Provision

  God’s provision:    

     I had the amazing opportunity to go home for thanksgiving, and with Christmas around the corner I’ll be spending it here in Colorado. It was good to see everyone but as the week was ending I couldn’t wait to get back in school and work. Let me tell you, God is the God of provision and goodness. He has given me the amazing opportunity to meet new people, go to an amazing school, and have the best job I have ever had.
     My boss told me yesterday that she wanted to talk to me about my hours, but she was leaving and I was going on break so she said we’d talk today. The first thought I had was more hours, then the next thought I had was fewer hours. I decided to focus on the increase rather than the decrease. Today as I walked into her office I was pretty optimistic. But as I left her office I was uneasy inside and wondering what I may have done. She told me that because of the work load being so little and a past employee coming back soon that I will probably be put on as an as needed worker. I was at least glad that she told her boss that she wanted to keep me on as an employee but the fewer hours and possible even more part time job freaked me out. I couldn’t figure it out, I was one of the two seasonal employees that they hired and they picked me. I was working hard, I was keeping pace, and everyone said I was a great worker and that I fit in. But was I really the only one picked, did they let the other employee know the same thing? The more I thought about it the more uneasy I felt inside so I tried to think of other things. I kept working through the stuff given to me to work on, and finished well before I had to leave so they gave me more.
        I had made plans to meet with a friend to look at a video he had made for Charis Christian Centers college group that they are starting, and after I was going to go to this youth/college group at another church with another friend. My friend text me and said he couldn’t go so I decided to stick around for CCC Wednesday night service. I wasn’t sure when it ended and wasn’t sure what I was doing for supper but I stayed regardless. I got to say that had to be God, because I left there pumped up and ready for whatever was ahead. And to top it off my friend and I went to Carl’s jr. (a burger place) for supper. His wife had the car so he rode with me from the church to the restaurant. It was a great time, getting to talk with someone who is older (not too old) and has the same passion that I have for going to CBC. Yeah we both have different things that we know God is calling us too but we share the same kind of likes and dislikes. I can relate to this guy and can be open about anything. He paid for my meal which was a major blessing, and I got to say it was an amazing burger. I took him home and started for my house. I listened to happy Christmas music and sang my heart out, it lifted my spirits and made my dark lonely drive home more bearable, and it kept my mind off work.
      I went down to my room once I got home, changed, and began to just talk to God. I began to speak a blessing over the production department, I told God that I’m still standing on the fact that this is my job, that I am not giving up, I’m not giving in. I don’t know how or what is going to happen, but until I get a different word from God I’m not moving from where I am. I’m standing on the word that Gods given me, I’m not backing down or give up, I will not lose heart. For the rest of my life I’m going to look back on this time here and laugh. My problems now are only trivial compared to the provision God has in store for me. I believe fully that I will either be blessed with my dream truck, or have the money to purchase it debt free. I believe that either I’m going to meet my wife here at college, or find her after. I believe that the job I have now is my job. And if it’s not the best for me then I expect better than what I have. I will not go for anything but high expectations; I will not stand for anything but Gods best for my life. Sickness and disease can’t hurt me, debt can’t stand with me, demons can’t affect me, my flesh cannot overtake me, my mind will stay renewed in Jesus Christ. God is good all the time, if you take off the “d” in devil it spell evil. Only evil can come from evil, God is a good God and He wants to bless his children. I’m tired of people blaming sickness and other infirmities on God, the only reason why they do that is because they are too afraid to own up to their own actions. They want to say oh God made this cancer in my body just for me, they claim it and say “it’s my cancer, God gave it to me” and they live there life ready to be taken by something that isn’t from God. A lot of people bring up the story of Job, the most popular person to bring up when others talk about healing and sickness. They say that God took everything away from Job, that he made his life miserable, when you look through that story of Job it clearly states that the devil took away his possessions and family not God. And when Job said the lord gives and the Lord takes away Job was not living under the anointing of God and you can see in the end of the story Job apologizes for what he had said during that time. Another point that people bring up is that God allowed the devil to do those things to Job. God gave us a free will, and He gave us the power to rule over everything on this earth. Job was very fearful about his family, he sacrificed every day for His children because He was afraid of what his children might do, or what might happen to them. The devil used Jobs fear, and in turn every fear Job had become a reality.
         When people die in car accidents other people say that God wanted them in heaven, my opinion on that is what is God going to do with a bunch of people in heaven? God created us to worship Him yes, but we can worship him here and make an impact here on earth. If we die and go to heaven we can no longer win souls for Christ, our body is dead, our spirit goes to heaven. Jesus told everybody to go into the world and preach the gospel. I’m not saying that everyone who dies before “there time” dies in vain. We need to make sure we leave an impact with others so our impact can still be used when we are gone.
          I kind of went on a rabbit trail but it’s that kind of stuff that really gets me. I see so many people not living up to their full potential because they don’t think they are worthy, or they don’t think God isn’t a big enough God to provide for the dream or desire. If you truly believe that God placed a desire or vision on your heart then you should have no worries about the provision. My God shall supply all my need according to His purpose, doesn’t mean struggles won’t come. But we need to realize that our struggles come from our choices, our fears, our disbeliefs and not God. I hope this ministers to you as much as it did for me writing it, I enjoy writing my thoughts as God gives me the words. Thanks for ready, blessing on all of you. And remember I’m Gods favorite, are you?

God CANNOT and WILL NOT use sin

       Some may doubt my reasons or motives for being in Colorado, some may wonder if behind all the talk there is the actual reason for my being here. Let me put all of those reasons to rest.
       If you have read all my other blogs you know the calling God has placed on my life, you know the journey that I have taken to get here to Colorado, and you know the struggles that I have encountered since I got here. As I’m nearing the end of the first semester I’m amazed at how much God takes care of His children when they are completely in Gods will. I have been blessed with amazing friends, teachers, co-workers, and along with those co-workers and amazing job. I’ve been blessed with two great homes to live in with amazing Spirit filled believers. And I’ve been blessed with provision.
       The provision is actually what brings me to write this blog. I got up this morning to see an amazing sight outside, pure white untouched snow on the trees and the ground. After I showered and got to school I had a great time of praise and worship before the studies began. Classes went great as I eagerly awaited one of my favorite teachers who was teaching 4^th hour. His teaching went great as I again left his class eagerly excited about the gospel and what it actually is. Dinu, the husband of the couple I was staying with before came to me and said they had some food that they had for me, some meat and canned goods, so we made a time that I would come over to pick it up. I went back to my job (which is an amazing story in itself) and worked for 2 hours because they closed the ministry due to the declining weather. After work I had to go get a snow brush because I forgot mine at home in Indiana and I didn’t want to keep using my hands to clear of the snow on my car. I went to walmart and of course they were sold out, I figured because everyone probably didn’t have a snow brush, I went to the dollar store and they had one which surprised me. I headed to Dinu and Candice’s house and we had a great time of fellowship watching a movie, they also blessed me with a delicious dinner. It was getting late and I needed to study for a test so they began to grab some of the food from the freezer that they had. I was totally thankful for just that stuff but that wasn’t all they had for me, they had two more boxes full of stuff. I told them thank you and left for home, I happened to think about what my mom had told me that my dad had been praying for. Every time they would pray for their food at the dinner table, my dad was praying that my food would multiply. And I am happy to say that it was answered to overflowing, I have so much food that I won’t have to get groceries for a while.
      
       Some people may disagree with the teachings here at the college, and like I said some people may wonder about my motives of being here and think that the reason God is providing for me is because God is using my “sin” for good.
        Let me tell you, that is the biggest lie I have ever heard in my life. God cannot use sin for good, sin is sin. God hates and rejects sin so why is He going to use it. God turned His back on His only son when Jesus was on the cross taking on all the worlds sin. Why would He look at us and use our sin when He turned His back on Jesus for that one moment. Just as in James 1:13 where it talks about when we are tempted let us not say we are tempted of God, it’s the same way with sin. It doesn't make any sense to say we are sinning for God, and if we do say He uses sin we are practically calling God a sinner. I'm not saying that God wont use the person, cause He will, just not the sin in the persons life. We must turn from our sinful ways for God to use us. The person can use the forgiven, never committed again sin as a testimony of how their life has changed after following Christ, but it shouldn't be the sin that catches our attention, it should be the change that God has brought in that persons life that gets us to change.
        You can take what you want from what I’m learning, make it what you want. You can never be my friend again, or you can open up your heart to who God really is. When Gods son Jesus came and died on the earth for our sins that was for eternity. When Jesus died and rose again He gave us a new covenant as it says in Hebrews 9:11-28. So we no longer need to plead to God for provision and healing because we already got it, we just have to find it! Let me tell you, if I haven't told you all of what I did before coming here, when i was at the churches in the past that taught on judgement and condemnation I was a hypocrite, living the godly life at church and the worldly life outside. Talking the talk but not walking the walk. The relationship I have with God is like nothing I have every experienced before and no one is ever going to take it away from me. No longer do i have a fear of death or persecution like I had before. If ever it got to the point where it was death for believing in God or life renouncing it, I'd 100% choose death.
  I pray that you are blessed by my blogs and that you will take what I have said to heart. God Bless, I love you all!

Christ Rate

Christ Rate
October 24, 2011

      Painted on the wall at church there is a simple word that we call the group for college age and youth… Pulse. As I sat there staring at that I began to think through what I could do for a blog.

      If we place our hand over our hearts or any other main artery on our body we can feel a pulse, there’s no denying what that pulse tells us. It means we are alive and that our heart is working properly to put out blood throughout our bodies to sustain life. Our heart pulses blood through our veins in different speeds, if our heart rate is up then we know our heart is working harder and quicker to keep the blood flowing. And if our heart rate is normal, then we know our body doesn’t need to work overtime.

      So I began to think, what if we lived our lives like Christ is our heart, pulsing His love, strength and kindness through our veins. If you look at a fellow brother or sister in Christ you can almost tell what their Christ rate is, if they are going through life not being courageous or even radical learning more and more about God then we can say that their Christ rate is pretty low, that God isn’t pulsing through their veins at a high rate. Now look at another brother or sister in Christ, they are working hard to grow in their walk with God, ever day they are getting deeper in the word, sharing the true gospel with others. You can see that their Christ rate is high because you see the pulse of God inside of them. You can see the strength that God is giving them to do His works.

        This is just a short blog but I want to leave you with a question. What is your heart beating for, is your heart beating for yourself, or for others? Are you living your life not plugging into the Christ pulse, the pulse that gives you eternal life, the pulse that gives you strength when you are weak, that gives you courage and shines through to others? God calls us to be His light in a dark world, to be shining like the stars. Step out in faith, step out in trusting Him and say Lord whatever you want me to do I am willing, no matter what. And after we live it our when can feel God pulsing through our veins. I did that the other night and I got excited as to what Gods got for me. I know what God has called me to do, I still don’t know the when, where, or how it’s going to happen but I know it will. I know God is going to bless me as I continue on the path of truly trusting Him with everything. If you plug into Christ’s pulse He will change your life forever!

A new revelation every day that keeps me going

A new thought process on how I think and pray

He is there listening, and the answer is yes!

      I just had a crazy past 24hrs, and through it all God was there again as He will be always. I was coming to the end of my stay here at my current residence and I still have no job, or a permanent place to stay. I came to the realization after talking to the wonderful people here that I have till Tuesday to find a new place. So there I was I knew it was coming but it was still like a train wreck of emotions coming in a matter of minutes. In my mind I knew God had a place for me, but then the thoughts of homeless, and living in my car flooded in and started to choke the very thoughts that I knew were true. My mind started going places that weren’t Godly, and I couldn’t understand why it was becoming hard again. When I know I’m in Gods will, and that this is where He wants me to be, why are things taking so long to be accomplished? Why were things becoming hard when every day I get a new revelation as to what God wants for my life?

      I called my parents because I needed someone to tell me it was going to be o.k. I needed something or someone to put my head back on strait. As I talked to my parents, tears flooded down my cheek, emotions came to the surface as I had another realization that besides God and the friends I have here, I am alone. No longer do I have my parent’s right there to give me a hug and tell me it’s ok. No longer when I reach a situation can I pass it onto them for them to sort out, all I have are phone calls. As I talked with my mom I wanted just a mom hug, it’s a feeling of security and strength even in their weakness, it’s a feeling that gives you the strength to walk with your head held high. Here I was huddled in a chair, crying like I haven’t in a couple weeks thinking that in less than a week I’d be homeless. 

     I got off the phone and I knew then what I should have done in the first place. I closed facebook and every other window I had opened, shut down my computer and fell on my knees. All I knew at that point was to just say God I need your help, help me please I need your help. That’s all I could get out, I prayed for housing but still inside I was feeling destroyed. Jesse Duplantis tells of a time he was conversing with God, when God said is he going let his faith stagnate. That rang in my mind, was I letting my faith stagnate, jumping onto cruise control and just coasting.  I lay in bed and immediately thought of my friend, he’s in a house, rent free, for as long as he wants. And here I am facing one of the biggest things in my life so far to deal with. Why couldn’t I have been blessed that much too where I was care free pretty much. Why couldn’t God bless me with something so easy for Him to do? What one of my instructors said immediately came into mind. And it’s something that I put in a previous blog. I was getting jealous over another man’s blessing. After that came into my mind I prayed and asked God’s forgiveness for my selfish actions, and thanked God for blessing my friend and that the same or better blessing would come my way. I was finally able to sleep, and woke up this morning ready to start asking people for available housing.

         I went through the first hour thinking of who all I could ask, and who all I could connect with. All while listening to Andrew Wommack talking about finances and giving during tough times. I already had 100 fold return of giving, and been repaid 100 fold from the devils theft of money through sickness and needing of medication through an unexpected card in the mail including the combined total of each. So I knew giving and returns worked, but here I was, with my money even tighter, and being called to trust God even more with my finances. Almost reluctant, yet fully believing on a full return, above and beyond I gave because I knew God would honor it. Now Andrew wasn’t trying to take what money people have, He has a lesson that talks about how giving to God is the easiest thing to do, and it takes the littlest amount of faith for God to increase.

    I talked to a few people, put a note on the bulletin board and started walking toward my class when a lady who I met during campus days said hi and asked how I was doing. I hesitated to say the full story, but how are you going to get the word out if you don’t share? How are people going to pray for your situation and back you up if they don’t know? I told her everything and didn’t really know where it would lead. She then encouraged me and backed me up in faith, I was still feeling down until she encouraged me. I had a ‘wow’ moment of why God says to fellowship with people who will encourage and keep you strong in the faith. I walked toward my class with my head held higher and my heart reset on the goal at hand.

    The third hour of school was filled with more teachings, but a part stood out among the rest. Greg Mohr started talking about how we pray for things we need. Often times we find ourselves coming to God and only asking for enough to cover our needs, instead of asking for more. When we ask God for things that we need, why don’t we pray for so much increase that we can them bless someone else with our overflow. That hit me hard, I was just praying for my needs. He said that when we only pray for our needs we really our being selfish to what God can do, that our blessing is only that, ours.

    By the end of the third hour I was set on getting a place by the time I left that building, I had another opportunity to volunteer in the production department, but I didn’t have to be there till 12:30. I walked into the student service room, and walked out with a temporary housing, and a possible permanent one. Only through Gods guidance and direction.

    It’s crazy how God works, He doesn’t work in mysterious ways, He just works in ways that are easy to see and understand. I walked back toward the production department, no longer in desperate need of housing, no longer worried or stressed over what I’m going to do. I sit down to start working and right in front of me was a tv and cd series that Andrew has called, “you already have it.” I couldn’t help but smile and get a little emotional over the fact that I already had what I was asking God for last night. Why was I so worried and distraught over everything?  Again I know every day that this is where I need to be, this is where God has called me to be. Through the struggles and difficulties I know God has my steps ordered, He knows everything that I need and so much more. Every day I walk out of the school with a different level of understanding. I can’t wait to see the full picture of where God is leading me, but I know wherever He takes me, I know I will be provided for above and beyond my actual needs. So then I can take all I’ve learned and all I know and invest in someone else’s life. And dont forget that the same feeling I get from a hug from my mom or dad, you and I can get from our heavenly father. He's there stretching out his arms welcoming you under His comforting and protectinve wings. Thanks again for reading and I pray that God will bless you through reading this, as much as God has blessed me to write it.