Thousands of thoughts . . .

There are sooo many things going through my head right now . . . . what does God want to do with me? Where does God want me to go? Bethel v. Wheaton? When is the right time? COULD I GRADUATE ANY SOONER? Are the Lions gonna make the playoffs . . . . ok that one isnt so serious . . . .

Anyways just thought I would let ya know there is lots goin through my mind. . . . . . .

Christmas debt . . .

So it's coming up. . . . that time of year when you go and buy presents and you go BROKE! haha! I am trying this year to make sure that I walk out of Christmas with a plan. I have budgeted out my spending for the next month and then for the next year! It's really good! I am excited and I feel like now I have a plan and I have a specific amount that I can spend!

I think it is important that as we go into Christmas that we remember that the whole gift giving tradition and all of that is about us primarily. So because of that I think we should be good with our money. Saying that I am making it my commitment to NOT go into any debt this Christmas and walk out with some money still left over . . . . .

we'll see how that goes!!

Monday Monday Monday

I have decided that God wasn't thinking when he made Monday! I am having a good day, but I still wish it was the weekend haha!

I just thought I should tell everyone that they should get the CD iWorship 24:7! It's awesome and has really been a great encouragement to me!

My family and I all got pictures taken over break! You should check em out and let me know what you think . . . . http://homepage.mac.com/jonathandurling/mullikin/

Ok thats about it, I am cold. . . .

Lead Like Jesus Part 2/3

Ok! I know it was a few days soooory! I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! Mine was great!

NEWSONG: Hosanna by Paul Baloche off the CD iWorship 24:7

VERSE: Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus called them together and said, “You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. NOT SO WITH YOU. Instead, whoever wants to be the first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

THOUGHTS: Am I a leader? I would hope that all of you know that in some way, yes you are. Whether you are being a leader in postive or negative role you are in fact leading someone. The next question you must ask in this process of leading like Jesus is: Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model?

Now I don’t want to sugar coat it for you. I am not going to tell you that it is the safest, easiest, and most liked way to go. Because its not, at least by our earthly standards. To lead like Christ we must understand that our recognition, our affirmation, our fame is in fact not ours at all, but that it is all for Him. We must know that there are going to be times in our lives that the only thing we have to fall on is our faith and our trust in Christ. But that should be an encouragement! In James 1:2 it tells us “when all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!”

But to say that we must know that He is with us and that He has a plan for us if we are willing to follow. In Jeremiah 29:11-14 it tells us “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you.’” I love this verse because it is always an encouragement, he knows the plans for me! He wants me to succeed not necessarily in the standards of the world or our society but in the standards and the life of the Kingdom of God!

All this to say, we must be willing to accept this leadership role model through everything. Christ came to be a leader through serving others and if we are willing to follow that model than we can move onto our next step. How to lead like Jesus!

Are you willing to step into the storm, to step out into it all? Are you willing to follow one with dirty feet? Are you willing to follow Christ as your leadership example?

It’s not what you know its what you do!

Next week: How do I lead like Jesus?

Leading Like Jesus Part 1 of 3

NEWSONG: Knees to the Earth by WaterMark off the CD The Purest Place
*I know its not a brand new song, but its beautiful and maybe would go well with worship

VERSE: 1 Timothy 3:1
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach . . .

THOUGHTS: I know that this is a short verse and I know that you may just think okay so what next? Well here it is. I have been reading from a book called Lead Like Jesus (it’s a great book). At the very beginning of the book the author tells us that there are three questions we have to ask ourselves about being a leader like Jesus: (1) Am I a leader? (2) Am I willing to follow Jesus as my leadership role model? (3) How do I lead like Jesus?

Through the next few weeks I want to talk about being a leader. Becoming a leader. So as we do these devotionals together and as you are reading this on my blog also, I would like to challenge you to either grow into a leader, or grow your leadership into a whole new level.

This week I want to take a look at the first question: Am I a leader? Ken Blanchard says, “Leadership is a process of influence.” Being a leader doesn’t always mean that you have to have a name, that you have a position, but that you are in a place of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people in their personal, professional, or spiritual lives, you are taking on the role of a leader. Where are you influencing other people? Blanchard then goes on to tell us that there are two things evident in those who lead: (1) a leader doesn’t always have to influence someone in a positive way, it just has to do with the influence they have over someone, and (2) leaders are involved in making personal choices about how and why to use their influence. The ultimate question comes in here. Do we seek to lead through serving the needs of others or do we seek to lead through the service of others to us? I don’t want to tell you how to live your life or how to go about being a leader, but I want to leave you with this, Christ came down to this earth, he is the greatest leader in the history of the world, and he was a leader who came to lead through the serving of others. . . .

Next week: Am I willing to follow Jesus as m leadership role model?

Visiting Wheaton . . .

So I am visiting Wheaton tomorrow. It is my first grad school to visit for ministry and I am really excited. I am worried because it is a really good school and I don't really feel adequate but I am just praying that God can help me to go through with all of this and that he can help me. I am excited about it and I hope everything goes well.

I am staying at the Biggs house tonight and I am gonna hopefully get in the hot tub and get to bed early! Ok talk to you all soon . . . .

pray for me . . . .


and Laura's mom got in a car accident, she is ok but I sure she is shaken up . . .

What God can do when we are real!

These past few months have been awesome for me! On the outside they may seem like they have been really rough and really hard, but God has been doing some amazing things and it has made me feel really encouraged.

About 2 months ago I was on my way back from Naperville and was just listening to music and having some time to myself. A lot of times I take that time and use it for me to relax a bit, but that night I remember really praying and talking with God on my way back (and yes you can talk to God with your eyes open haha). Anyways I still remember just torn with everything going on in my life. I didn't know whether God was calling me into ministry or into physical therapy. What came next was one of those "real" moments. I remember kinda wrestling with God. I can almost relate it to when God wrestled with Jacob and he came out with a bum hip. I just felt like I came out with a bum heart. I felt like at that point God had really touched my heart, like he had really called me into something. I was listening to Embracing Accusation by Shane and Shane and just remember feeling chills.

There was a point though when I just had to ask, well more sternly tell haha, God that I neeeded to know where he wanted me. I wanted to do what he wanted me to do, I wanted to do his will. From that point on EVERYTHING I read, everything I heard, everything I experienced, led me to feel, believe, and know more and more that God was calling me into full time ministry for Him.

And ya know what, I can't wait!

Thoughts on Psalm 147

NEWSONG: Break Free by Hillsong of the CD Hillsong LIVE Saviour King

Verse: Psalm 147:1-11
Praise the Lord, how good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love

Thoughts:
This verse is one of those really cool verses for people like us who are involved in worship and public praise. David wrote some awesome things for the Jews back in the day huh! Well I wanted us to take just a few minutes and reflect on this verse. Especially the last part "His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." In our day everyone with any type of ability is praised for what they can do, which isn't always a bad thing. Specifically we glorify musicians and artists who do great work and write great music. We lift athletes up to a greater level than anyone else. This isn't always a terrible thing, in culture. But as Christians, in our lives, in our church, we are called to a different evaluation. God LOVES that we can play the guitar, that we can play drums, run 10 miles, write a poem, and on and on. He really does. And you wanna know why? Because he gave us those gifts to use, and it makes Him happy that we can use them!

But we need to make sure that we are using them to show God our love, to give Him praise for what he has done! It is a blessing to me to know that I couldn't do anything without the holy and amazing love that he had for me. It is a blessing to me to know that without Him I am nothing. As we go through our week and as we use our gifts, I challenge you to know and remember that God's real delight, his real joy comes not in the "strength of a horse . . . in the legs of a man" but in those who use those gifts to show Him their love. His real delight is in the worship and hope that we put in Him!

1st Post

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