[walkwjc]

We are missing something... actually, what it is is that we have too much. The church as it was supposed to be would have only been worried about being of one accord in the great commission. See, the issue does effect the way certain problems are dealt with, but it is no longer a central issue... why, you ask? Because OUR CHURCHES ARE SHRINKING TO THE POINT THAT INTERNAL ISSUES SHOULD NO LONGER MATTER!!! We need to all work together... helping each other in our weakness... those who believe in predestination fail to take into account God being outside of time... we are doing this all in real time, and we do have choices... God just knows what those choices will be already, and he places chances in front of everyone... those who make the wrong ones go by the wayside, but those who make the right ones (to follow Christ) are then also predestined, and foreknown, and justified, and glorified. It doesn't mean that anyone has less of a chance than anyone else. Arguing over silly things like this make one problem stick out... our lack of LOVE! LOVE is the greatest, better than faith and hope... Love never fails. If we simply lived by the spirit, one and all, and edified each other the way we should, the church would be alive again... and then, my friend, we can worry about which dead guy was right about predestination.

Excellent, my man. I really appreciate your input on this subject. I think what happens to me, although I am convicted in my heart and mind to my beliefs, is that I let too much outside influence flood my mind, before I return to scripture and meditate. I believe pretty much along the same lines as you...what is the point. And the 'which dead guy got predestination right' is hillarious.
And I guess that may be my point: where did your beliefs come from? Did you fervantly study the bible and come to know that which the Holy Spirit has pressed upon you? Or are you following a theology that, in the end, is just some MAN'S interpretation of scripture. I say develop your own basic theology from the Bible and build from there. I cannot wholeheartedly embrace someone elses interpretation of the bible, not with out my own roots to draw from.

I appreciate such compasionate friends as you.

Peace be with you
-d

[bigpirate]

The more you study, the less you will be swayed by what others tell you... keep seeking God, man.

[AuthenticGroove]

I am ever impressed at the gain of knowledge and insight! I can't wait to meet you in Heaven! (given: I don't meet you before then) I'm sure your hunger and thirst for knowledge pour out of you like a river of life.

Kara's on a relaxed break.

[walkwjc]

Thanks for the support. I study every day, but alot of times I get in a rut and study the same things over and over, like God is trying to tell me something.

The great thing about GCR is that I can read these posts by people, and most of the time(in theology and apologetics) I'll read someone's interpretation of a certain passage, and think 'that can't be right'. Then I turn to my trusty Bible... and find that passage, and study it in context, often reading the whole book where its found, and make my own interpretation. Not that mine is always different from others, it just makes me think. And it gets me into the Word of God. And thats a Good thing.

But in the Calvinist/Non-Calvinist debate, there are soo many scriptures and so many references, that after reading a good debate, I am flip floping like...well like a fish. So even when I go back to scripture and start to muttle through my self, I kinda get lost in the search. So that is where my close friends in Christ come in. (that is you guys) Cause even though I haven't known ya'll for long, and never met ya'll in person, I feel really close to those few who post in my blog with support and understanding. Don't get me wrong, I have other Christian friends, in my personal life, but they aren't as spiritually minded as you seem to be. Now, that being said, I have some really great news:

A lesson from God

Maybe my experience is unique, but, when I came to know our Lord and Saviour, I was the only one that was excited (aside from Amy, who was very excited cause she already knew Him). Not my friends. Not my family. So, kinda hard being an excited Christain and nobody else you know, feels the same way.

So Amy and I kinda limited our contact with our old friends (cause they pushed a sinful lifestyle on us) and were kinda marrooned. We prayed for our family and friends, and prayed for new Christian friends. We had this really bad habit of praying really hard for the people in our lives we thought were most likely to come to Christ. And were disappointed again and again. But one time, I prayed to God to let me witness and pray according to HIS will. And I prayed for good christian friends. No naming names or praying for the top 'draft choices'.

God put on my heart two things during that prayer session: 'I am going to blow you away'. And 'you haven't seen anything yet'. I knew something great was around the corner and so I just prayed that same way every day.

On our prayer list, we had our family and friends in a row in the order in which we thought they would come to Christ. Cheesy right? Well God has been using that list, except HE started from the BOTTOM. "I shall make the least the first in the kingdom of God' come to mind?

And that was our lesson. We had been praying soooo hard for the 'good' people on our list, and just giving a blanket prayer over the rest and God told us not to do that. Then he showed us why. God is great, because, Amy's sister in law, came to know Jesus and is a very strong christian today. Pretty impressive since she was at the bottom of our list. The very last, was made the first.

God has been working up that list from the bottom for over two years now and has astonished us every time, even when we should have been expecting it. Why do we doubt?

And the reason I bring this up tonight is because I talked to an old friend today who has found God and is excited about it. He was an alcholic, depressed, and had girl problems, you name it and he had it. Well I had heard that he was going to church and decided to call him and see how he was doing. We talked for about an hour and it turns out that we are pretty much on the same page sprirtually and he is excited in his walk with Christ. This is a guy I should have nothing in common with...except Christ. He is going to a great church, fellowships with the men and leaders of his church. Just a complete turnaround in his life. He has given the gospel to his fiance and she is almost ready to take that leap of faith into Christ's arms.

So, Great news tonight, two new christain friends my age and somebody who is on fire for God. Just like me. Man, got a lump in my throat just typing about it.

But that brings me to back to my point. Why do we try to direct Gods will for us. We are fully submissive to Him, but we still try to direct God's traffic in our prayers and actions. We find that the closer we walk with Him and the more we let Him guide our way, the more He can do in our lives.

I hope my lesson from Him has helped you too, or maybe even better, you already learned that lesson. I started learning it two years ago, and am still being blessed by submitting to God's will.

Let Him be your crossing guard, your map, your GPS: God's Positioning System. Let Him flow into your life like a river, don't paddle upstream, just let Him do the work. You will be blessed beyond all you could dream of.

I love God and all the people He has 'Put in my way'.

Thanks

-d

[bigpirate]

I needed to hear that today, man... God is that awesome... the last should be first... Dude... that whole thing is awesome! You are a blessing, man.

[walkwjc]

Thanks Bro,
Always feels good to be a blessing. So..do you feel good too?

-d

[bigpirate]

Not feeling to shabby, my friend.

[walkwjc]

Well my friends,
Today I am headed home from the rig
so my posts will be far and few between as I spent time with the family and playing with the kids.
But don't be sad, for this will be a happy time for me!!
And I'll be back,next week
So walk with Christ in everything you do
and don't let anything exciting happen while I am gone.

Yours in Christ
-donnie

[bigpirate]

You know, I didn't put anything for a while about this, but just the fact that you are getting to go home to your family made me all warm and fuzzy inside... you enjoy that man! Tell us all about it when you get back, share your memories, and come back refreshed!

*hoping no one notices my warm fuzzies.*

[walkwjc]

You know, I didn't put anything for a while about this, but just the fact that you are getting to go home to your family made me all warm and fuzzy inside... you enjoy that man! Tell us all about it when you get back, share your memories, and come back refreshed!

Refreshed I am, brother.

Well looks like alot has happened since i left last week. I had a chance to check the boards earlier this week when You still had something about 'getting kicked off CGR' in your sig. Sounds like the upperclassmen of CGR are in turmoil over a lot of issues and the underclassmen almost revolted. I trust all is well in the world of Christian fellowship this week?

I don't think working a week away from my family is neccesarily healthy, but I gotta tell you, that first day back home makes me appreciate what I have in my wife and children and good homelife. Staying away for a week is almost more than i can stand, but that 7 days off really makes it worthwhile.
I get home, every wednesday, and have a fridge plastered with new art from Laney. I get to tickle and wrestle with Seth and Laney as soon as I get home. It really is great. Tickle and wrestle with Amy a little later in the schedule .
I went to a bible study wed with our sister church in Portland and it was really great. It was the first time I had went and it was really small, and we had a great discussion of faith and Gods test for us. We studied how Satan tested Jesus during his 40 days in the wilderness and how we were tested in our own lives. This led to a lot of prayer and talk of miracles we each had received in our lives. It was a great fellowship with a group of people I had never met, yet talked to like I had known forever.

All in all a great set of days.

More Later.
Don't worry, it is hard to notice the warm and fuzzies on a Pirate. Arrrgh!

Peace be with you
-d

Absence
Fasting of Love
Growing Closer to Christ
Isolation
Fasting of Fellowship
Walking evermore closer with my Redeemer

[bigpirate]

Sounds like the upperclassmen of CGR are in turmoil over a lot of issues and the underclassmen almost revolted. I trust all is well in the world of Christian fellowship this week?

Well, I actually got negative repped... I didn't even know that rep still existed, but apparently it does. The GD forum and most of the more public forums are starting to remind me of an attempted utopia gone wrong... with people worried about what others will say, and stepping on eggshells trying to make everyone happy... I dunno. The upperclassmen of CGR are kinda young for this kind of responsibility anyway, so I guess they can be forgiven for their mishaps. It is a bunch of sillyness.

I get to tickle and wrestle with Seth and Laney as soon as I get home. It really is great. Tickle and wrestle with Amy a little later in the schedule .

HA!... what is it with young married guys talking about their wives? My BSM director will tell us every couple of days "dang... my wife is hot!"... it is cool in a creepy kinda way.

Don't worry, it is hard to notice the warm and fuzzies on a Pirate. Arrrgh!

Yeah, that's right... pirates rock! (dude... how are Mathis and AP the cellar dwellers in football this year? That is messed up... Goliad beat us... heads must hang in shame. )

[walkwjc]

HA!... what is it with young married guys talking about their wives? My BSM director will tell us every couple of days "dang... my wife is hot!"... it is cool in a creepy kinda way.

Cause My wife IS Hot! When you are in love and you both walk with Christ it is a beautiful thing. Everybody I used to know spent more time complaining about their wives and having a bad relationship and fighting and stuff and to an extent so did I. When we both got saved and started walking with Christ, it is like we just fell in love every day. You know that crush feeling you and Kara always talk about? Well that is how I feel every day and more with my wife since we began our relationship with God. Awesome Awesome Awesome.
My God is an Awesome God You see!!!

And why are AP and Mathis draggin this year? AP is hit and miss every year, but...they will come around.

Reason to smile: Calallen Wildkittens got their tails tied in a knot by FLOUR BLUFF a couple fridays ago. (History: Amy went to HS at Calallen, Donnie went to HS in Banquete...hardly a rival, but I love anything that shuts those Calallenites(all my inlaws) up for a week)

Peace
-d

[bigpirate]

Well, Calallen needed a whoopin... did G-P already beat them too? If not, they will soon.

And I pray that I feel that way with my wife, and I know that I will.

[walkwjc]

Amazing Grace. What a song. I mean have you ever really listened to the words in that song. I know its an old Hymn and I really am not that into Hymns but I can see why it is a standard.

I mean, amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. How close to home does that hit for you? I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. Man I got my eyes wide opened by Christ. I used to be the lost and blind, foundering in my so called life. But with God in my life the direction never seemed clearer. Thats the kind of song you get from someone who was a slave trader before he was saved. No talk of mansions and crowns or the spoils of rightousnes, just plain respect for the saving grace that brought him through. That is my kind of song.

'Tis Grace that hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. Man the power of saving grace when we let the Holy spirit lead us in our lives. Think of all the harm we have avoided because of the protection of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We will never know, in this life, all of the things in our lives that never happened due to our protector and redeemer. I cannot wait for Him to lead me home.

I have had that song stuck in my head all day, and I just really really listened to the words and started to connect them to my life and relationship with Christ. Just thought I'd share.

Love in Him

-d

[walkwjc]

Later Gators

Signing off for the week, going home from the rig. See you suckas next week.

God Bless
-d