Valentine's Day

Valentine's day went like any normal sunday. Rachel and I had our valentine's day earlier, Friday. Her dad flew up without us knowing that picked us up and took us out to olive gardan and then up to her grandparents. It was a good time and a needed break.

Missions conference went well, not as planed, but great things still happened. People got lead to a understanding of salvation, others I'm sure were challenged to go into missions. I had a great time talking with some of the missionary that were there and picking their brains for knowledge.

My brother had a great opportunity to talk to someone this weekend about christ, but I don't know how it went. I would appreciate prayer for him as he learns to share his faith and communicate the truth in a loving way to this person.

Missions Conference

Tonight starts missions conference. Tuesday night through friday morning of sessions on missions, missionaries, and mission related events or people. Sessions are from 8-12 in the morning and then one at night from 7-8pm. This year they are doing inner city missions and are sending the majority of the students to major near by cities to do work there. The idea is good from what I can tell, but I don't know how it is all going to work out. I think some students might just take advantage of the free trip to the city. That is all that is going on this week with the school, no classes are running.

We are supposed to get a big snow storm here, but I haven't seen much yet. at first they said lots of snow (6+ inches), and then they just said a lot, and now they are just saying it will snow. Personally I think that we aren't going to get much of anything. Maybe we could get 1/2 inch by morning. Maybe.

We had change in plans for the 20th. The events didn't work out like we were thinking and so it is called off. I was a little upset with it just because of all the planing that went into the event. Oh well.

Later

Missed church

I missed church today; and I mean that in both ways. I missed my ride and way unable to go, and I am sad that I was unable to added today. Rachel and I watched a sermon online today instead. The message was great, but it wasn't the real thing. There was no body, no fellowship of believers, it wasn't church. I think that it is interesting that even at a college where I study about church and have believers all around me, that I would still miss church and the body of believers there.

Tuesday was a long day. After all my classes I met a guy from Lake Ann Camp and talked about working there this summer. I have an application that I have been meaning to fill out, but it feels like homework. I want to try and work there this summer, that is the plan right now at least. It will make for another hard summer financially, but I think that it is going to be worth it (I hope).

I wanted to work in town this summer, but that might not work out. If business doesn't pick up come March/April, than I won't have anything in town. At least nothing that I planed. I never really know what God is doing, I just go along for the ride and it works out.

Classes are going well, I only have two or three papers this whole semester, and the rest looks really easy. I just need to start working on those papers. Rock climbing was a good choice this semester, I am going to enjoy it. It is a good break in the week.

February 20 is a big day for Rachel and I(and some of our friends). If you could pray for us that would be appreciated.

Thanks. Later

Christmas in January

Today marks the end of week two. I have lived through the first two weeks of school. Also about two and a half weeks since Rachel's Grand parents left from NM. They got here today, dropped off our things that we couldn't take on the plane with us, and said hello. All the things that they brought back with them were Christmas presents that we have already opened, so it was like Christmas all over again - only in January.

I got my check from the last week of work, I managed to get in 37 (I was shooting for 40+) hours within the first week of school. I'm down to around 28 now, but that first first check was nice, it will help me get back into normal payments. The good news about the whole thing is that I don't have to make my payments on time anymore, I just have to make them. I talked with the financial guy and he said that I just need to do what I can and not worry so much about getting them on time. That is very helpful and relaxing.

I thought that I would be able to handle this semesters class load, but I think I was wrong. one of my classes is orals, but it is turning out to be way to much for me. It looks like I am going to take it a later semester. In its place I am thinking about taking Rock climbing. It won't be any work, it will just be fore credits, I might audit it. Rock Climbing is fun for me. I have until monday to decide what I am going to do with classes.

My roommate and I are getting along fine. He is turning out to be a good friend, even if I do have to get him up every morning. He is very trusting and friendly, making it easy to build a relationship. I look forward to the semester with him and getting to know him.

Committed?

Greetings, today is the start of the second week of classes. First week went really well, I got lots of work hours in before all the homework gets piled on. I am think that I will enjoy most of my classes this semester. One or two of them sound like they might be difficult, but regardless of their difficulties I will do my best to learn from them.

I have a roommate this semester, his name is Chris. He is a cool guy, real easy going and considerate. I look forward to the semester building that relationship.

Yesterday Rachel and I asked about working in the youth group. We're working toward getting more involved at the church we are at, and youth group seemed like a logical choice. The youth guy sent me an email last night with some questions that I answered this morning. I'll know by Wednesday what the deal is with that, hopefully I will start going on Wednesday nights. I am kind of intimidated by the idea, I have never worked in a youth group before, and know I am working in one with kids that I have never met before.

The one thing Dan, the youth guy, said is "if you are going to start coming to youth group, you have to commit." I know that I would go every time and would rarely miss, but just being asked that question was difficult. It is a scary question to be asked about something that you have never done before. It is the nature order of things though; commit to the church, commit to the people, now commit to working with the people.

Later

Classes have begun!

Classes started today. So far so good.

I will be working a record amount this week, roughly 7 hours a day until Saturday. Today I worked 8 hours, I was either in classes or working from 8 this morning until 8 this evening. I am really glad that I was able to get some extra hours this first week back, but this might be a bit much even for me.

My trip back from New Mexico went okay. I got stuck in Detroit over night because of the weather though, other than that it went well enough.

Well, it is 10pm and I haven't even started my homework for tomorrow yet.

Later

Bair, the Ram

since I am at Rachel's house I thought I would try and help out around the ranch. They take care of 20 different animals. They have sheep, rams, dogs, cats, goats, and two buffalo. Since there are so few animals it is easy to get to know them and get attached. While I was here one of their rams died. It wasn't attacked or sick, it just died.

When Rachel's dad and I went to bury the ram he said this, "I think if people had to watch their favorite animals die all the time I don't think they would sin as much, and the would see the value of Christ sacrifice."

Christ is the lamb of God. We are Christ' sheep. Both struck me. God care for and loved Christ and yet had to watch him die, for our sins no less. We are Christ' sheep and we don't have to die, because Christ the true lamb of God already did.

Happy new year!
Later