Your plan for my life, Not my wants

I find myself sometimes wanting to live another life. Not that there is anything wrong with mine, because honestly I am Very blessed and spoiled. I have a loving mom and brother some of the best friends a guy could ask for. I have a job or jobs that allow me to do what I enjoy. I have a Savior in Christ Jesus who died on the Cross for me so that I would have the opportunity to spend eternal life with the Father in Heaven. But yet I find myself many times not happy, not because things aren't going good or I'm bored and have nothing to do(this is definitely not the case). But I find myself to tied down. Opportunities arise that I would like to take but Im already committed to other things. I wind up having to do things that I have committed to over things that my heart yearns to do. Sometimes I just wish that school and work were not necessary in todays society to be considered a "productive" member of society. I live a pretty carefree life. I am not worried about if i am going to have a next meal. I am blessed to have the mindset of where do I want my meal from. I don't have to worry about where Im going to sleep tonight. Worrying about whether or not I will be warm and dry tonight is not a thought in my mind at all through the day. But there are many people like that who have those thoughts those worries daily. Here in the United States but even more so across our border to the south and around the world. We have so much here that we take for granted running water, free public schools, and free speech just to name a few. I just can't help but imagine how my life could be different if I had done one thing instead of another earlier in life. Instead of staying in my hometown to be with my girlfriend instead of going off to a D1 school when I was a freshman or take a certain job over another what would that have changed how would my life be different. Sometimes I sit and think about this for hours but I have to remind myself. I am following a path, its a path that has been created just for me to follow, yes its my choice to follow it and if I do I will have a blessing in it. Sometimes its just hard, sometimes I wish I had no commitments that I could just drive 6 hours on a whim and build a house for a family that I know very little about and join with the amazing people of Paseo Christian Church and Casas por Cristo. But I have a path that im to follow and at this moment in my life that isn't in the plan. Though I can't be there physically I will be there spiritually, praying for the family, the team and the community to be changed. I will make with due the opportunities I have to make an impact on the community around me while I am here. God has plans for me, Plans to prosper and not to harm, plans to give me hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (paraphrased) I just have to remind myself his plans are better than mine, and Lord I want your plans for my life not my own earthly desires.

Countdowns

So as I look around it seems there are countdowns everywhere. Countdowns to the last final, graduations, pinning ceremonies, Birthdays, Christmas, New Years, Half marathon and marathon dates. There is one that sticks out to me even more than those days to Mexico. 18 days til Mexico, 18 days until I get to meet a family that before I leave will have a home to protect them from the sub freezing temperatures and crazy winds that blow through cracks and holes in the walls if the family is lucky enough to have them. 18 days until I get to lay a Concrete foundation to replace the dirt floors, Stucco to replace the pallets insulation, sheetrock. My thoughts go all over the place when I think of this countdown.

1. I get to bless a family with home, a physical worldly need.

2. I get to minister to a family through my actions, a free gift given to them but another is available the gift of having Jesus in your life that you can do nothing to deserve or earn but its there and they can have it.

3. Christmas in Mexico I have never done this only heard stories. So how do I prepare clothes What is building in the cold, how do we build if it snows? These thoughts all come together.

4. I get to see and hang out with some friends and some new people looking forward to meeting and making a connection with.

5. I get to give this gift around Christmas. The time when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. We celebrate by giving friends and family gifts I get to give someone who i don't know a gift that is going to completely change their life on this earth. But I also have the opportunity to help them receive a gift that will change their lives for all eternity and that is the thought makes me smile and my heart jump with joy to know that I have an opportunity to add to my family in Heaven.

I can't even to begin to imagine the true impact that we have on people towards the kingdom of Heaven. But I know that one day I will be able to see it and I want to make the most of the opportunities that I am giving.

Praise the Lord for countdowns because they are great things that bring great joys in my life. Can't wait. So let the countdown begin.

Crazy weekend

So this past weekend was an interesting one to say the least. There were some great times and some that I care not to repeat the experiences.

I got to go to Dallas this past weekend. I was able to spend time with one of my best friends Hannah and her Boyfriend Jeron (who I havent seen in 4 years) along with Elizabeth and my brother doing some shopping and just hanging out. After we hung out it was time for me and my brother to Check in to our Hotel and get ready for our evening activities so we get to our hotel and they tell me that the reservation is not for this weekend that it was for next weekend so we would have to call the company that we had made out reservations for and see if we could change with out difficulty. So figuring there wouldn't be a problem I called the person on the other end said I would have to cancel and rebook the hotel. So I cancelled and said I would figure out something else. I go back to the Guest services and tell the manager the situation so he says he can book me a room but its going to be $150 which is about double what my reservation was for. Its an hour before our evening activity and I was not going to miss it so I said no thanks to the manager and me and Gabriel got back into the truck and headed for The game in the Process I texted a few friends and they were heroes finding me Hotels for pretty Cheap and Elizabeth who was staying at her sisters house said that we could stay at her place for free. Praise God for he is good. So after that slight setback me and Gabriel arrive at our evening activity.

The Big 12 Title game. I have the BEST mom in the World she bought us tickets to the game for Christmas. I was so excited to go to the game. Because (in my opinion) it is one of the greatest College football rivalries The Oklahoma Sooners and The Nebraska CornHuskers. The atmosphere of this game was insane. I have only been to two college games in my life so I don't have much to go by but seeing the entire New Cowboys stadium covered in Crimson and Red was something else. It was a great game the whole way through with Nebraska coming out with a 17 point lead in the first quarter and Oklahoma coming back before the half and closing the deficit to 3 with a 20-17 score at half. The Second half there wasn't anything spectacular with the game ending with a score of 23-20 The Sooners coming out with the Victory. Made me very happy to be able to celebrate with all the fans after what had occured just prior to the game.

After the game we made it to Elizabeths sisters house and Crashed out the next morning was the original reason for me being in Dallas White Rock Half Marathon. This is going to be my 3rd half marathon in 8 months. I was also meeting one of my favorite people Aubrie Wright. I had run a half 3 weeks previous and had made my goal of running under 2 hours so my intention for running this one was to help Aubrie reach her goal of a 2:15 half marathon which she succeeded with a 2:08 half marathon she took off 26 minutes from her previous half I was very proud of her for. I also had the opportunity to have a good long conversation with her it was a lot of fun. and Im looking forward to doing it again at some point soon.

After running this it was time to clean up and head home so we started the long drive back to Amarillo and where I got to do homework before going to bed after a long Crazy weekend I loved getting to spend time with friends and family and friends who are closer than family.