update on health

Real quick. I got a blood test back today and everything is normal. I feel like I was just faking it and being overly dramatic. :) But I am feeling better today. Maybe God just miraculously healed me. This way I didn't have to get surgery. :) Well thanks to everyone for the prayers and concern. I Love all of you and am thankful for your support in my life. 

God is Sovereign and Massages are nice.

Well I went to the ER yesterday. Jani took me to Tacoma General. I was poke and prodded for like five hours and at the end of the day I still don't know what is going on. My stomach has been hurting for like a month. I was put on a low fat diet and told to drink lots of water. 

I was pretty upset yesterday. I ate a hot dog and had chips and basically rebelled against the diet. I payed for it later. :) But today after prayer and reflection. I am happy that I don't have to have my gall bladder out. I know that I don't have an ulcer. God is sovereign and is in control of what goes on in my body. He knows what is wrong. 

God is so faithful in reminding me to trust in him for everything. Time after time he teaches me to trust him in everything. Every time I forget he uses something in my life to show his control in my life. No matter what I am going through God is faithful. He has proven that He can provide me a beautiful house to live in, a job, a surrogate family and now I am learning to trust that God can heal me if he chooses or give the doctors wisdom to discern what it is that is ailing my body. Thank you for those who have shown concern and been praying for me. 

On a different note Jill and I went for massages today for her birthday. It was the most wonderful hour of my life. I feel so relaxed and at peace. I have lots of tension in my back. It was sooooooo nice. The massage therapist was awesome. I feel all wiggly and out of it so I hope this post makes sense. 

life

Well I haven't really written anything lately. I have just been posting pictures. They take less time. Not that I have been busy I have just not had anytime in front of the computer.
Well what is new with me. I registered for classes at Green River Community College. I am taking History, Math and College Writing. Should be fun. I am just trying to figure out how to pay for it now. With only minimal hours at work.
I have been going to this coffee shop in Sumner called Beyond the Bridge Cafe. I go in there almost everyday. The owners and most of the employees are Christian so I have become friends with them. They are struggling to keep their business afloat and the asked me if I wanted to volunteer their during events and such. Since I have no life and I really like the coffee shop I agreed. :) So you should go get some excellent coffee. It is in the Old Cannery parking lot. :)
Jill and I having been working out together. We are doing this deck of cards workout. It is kicking my butt. You go through a deck of cards and the red is push ups and black is sit ups. You do the number of sit ups or push ups on the card. We did it on Sunday and we only got through just over half the deck. We have been doing Pilates too. That is a little less intense but still good. Well I hope that this satisfies everyone who bugs me about my lack of posts. (Not blogs.. Right Amy and Ryan???)
Have a good day.

Cannon Beach, Cannon Beach and more Cannon Beach.

These are pictures from my last two visits to Cannon Beach.

Becky and I crashed the Woods vacation at the Oldright's cabin. We had amazing enchiladas made by Amy. Ryan taught me how to skip rocks. It was fun. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

My little nephew Gavin Joseph Born 9/29....

Discipline and Dependence.

I am reading the Disciplines of Grace by Jerry Bridges. I was reading about discipline and dependence. Bridges paraphrases 1 Corintians 3:7 which says: "So that neither the one who plants or the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth." Paul meant this in reference to ministry and that is always how I have read it. But when you apply it to your life it is a good reminder that God is the one who causes growth for your spiritual life. He talks of two extremes. One is being passive in your walk with God. Expecting growth with no effort. Bridges writes, "The Holy Spirit does not do the work for us; rather he enables us to do the work. We often use the expression 'Let the Lord live His life through me.' I am personally uncomfortable with this expression because it suggests passivity on our part. He does not live his life through me. Rather, as I depend on Him, He enables me to live a life pleasing to Him."

What an excellent reminder to not become passive with our faith. John Owen also puts it well. He says: " But out duty and out Grace are nowhere opposed in the matter of sanctification; for the on absolutely supposes the other. We cannot perform our duty without the grace of God; nor does God give his grace other than to perform our duty." We can rely on God completely while still putting work in to our spiritual walk.  

Another way is that we depend to much in spiritual disciplines. I think that I lean more in this area. While reading your bible and praying are wonderful things to be doing the act itself is not what causes growth. Like i said before it is God who causes the growth. We can be reading our bibles and praying all we want but if God is not in the equation nothing will happen. Bridges says " But those disciplines are not the source of our spiritual strength. The Lord Jesus Christ is, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit to apply the strength to our lives. This goes back to 1 Corinthians, we can plant and we can water but God causes the growth. This is such a good reminder in two ways. One to be completely and humbly surrender to our Lord. To be wholly dependent on him for everything, especially our spiritual growth. Second to not be lax about our faith. To always be striving to know God better. I am so thankful for this simple yet profound reminder to rely fully on God. 

While not putting it this way I think that if I follow a set mandate for spiritual growth then I will grow. I realized through reading this chapter that I do not rely fully on God for spiritual strength. I in essence rely on myself. Because I am the one deciding to read my bible and pray. Bridges tells How Jonathan Edwards had seventy resolutions to govern his spiritual conduct. Talk about being disciplined but at the beginning of his resolutions he wrote this:

. " Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will for Christ's sake." Jonathan Edwards. 

I am humbly entreating God to enable me to be more disciplined with full reliance on Him.