Don't read...(well you can, but it's going to change)

This is just an official reminder for myself to blog about what Frank Grubb's said about 30,000 kids dying each day.

Like I said, this will change.

Freaked out pigs

I read the story in Matthew 8:28-34 where Jesus confronts two demon-possessed men and casts them out into a bunch of pigs. The pigs go wild and run down this big hill into a lake and drown.

I don't know if I would be laughing or scared silly, but the people of the village get freaked out because their livelihood, pig farming, has just been destroyed. The whole town comes to see Jesus and pleads with him to leave.

I always thought the people of the village were kind of idiots...I mean, you don't just tell Jesus to leave when He's performing miracles. But then I got thinking. I wonder how many times I do that. Not knowingly, but when God is doing something in my life and I don't quite see the big picture, do I ask, "What's goin' on? I wish this would end."

I hope that I will have the faith in the future to trust God, and not kick him out of my life. Maybe after He's gotten rid of the pigs He'll find me a new job! ;)

Faith that astonishes God?

We've been talking about faith a lot recently at our Church, and in our youth group (180 is the name). We've talked about faith not being something you just think, or believe, but backing those things up with action. James describes that kind of faith as complete.

I've been reading through Matthew and I read the story of the Centurion's Faith. You can find it in Matthew 8:5-13. What amazes me is that Jesus is astonished by a human's faith. I don't think that my faith has been astonishing...growing yes...but astonishing? Wow.

I pray that my faith will become astonishing before God. Not to say that I am a great person of faith, but because I know that's where my faith should be.

Something Ironic

I just wrote a blog and spell checked it. In that blog, I talked about Jon's blog. Ironically, the word 'blog' was not recognized. :)

Mexico Updates

By the way, if you want to read our trip updates, see our photos, and hear from the students, check it out!

http://www.180students.com/mexico

Go, Going, Gone....Back

Well, I'm back from Mexico. We, I, had an amazing time down in Ensenada. So much was accomplished for the Kingdom of God. A desperate family of 10 received a new house that our team built in four days. Over 100 filthy poor people receive new clean clothes for their families. About 50 different kids that don't get to eat very much were served breakfast every day. It was amazing.

It was very eye opening, seeing their poverty, knowing that there is zero chance of them ever rising above that poverty, and also knowing how much I have back here in the States. I mean, this poor family of 10 lived in a 1 room shack, made of scraps of wood. They slept on two beds, had a dirt floor, an old card table to cook on, and the world's worst bathroom located right outside their house. They got their water from this big tank with a garden hose running out of it. They would pinch off the hose between some rocks when they were done using the water.

They were poor. We built them a 16 x 20 (320 sq. ft.) house that had two bedrooms and a loft, along with a main living space, on a concrete slab. This is going to dramatically improve their life.

Yet I come home to my 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, nice kitchen, separate living and dining rooms, 1 deck apartment and am not sure where to put all my stuff.

I was encouraged this week by the clothing distribution that we did. We often say, "Dios le bendiga" - God bless you - when we are down in Mexico. I felt very much that I was living out the Kingdom of God that Jesus spoke of many times as I was able to give someone clothing that they desperately needed, and say, "Dios le bendiga."

But now I'm back to reality, well, my reality. My nice (small?) apartment. My TV. My internet. My bed (only 2 people are in this bed, not 5 like in Mexico). My car. My wealth. I want to live differently, I want to live out the Kingdom of God with my resources now, here, not just in Mexico.

I was thinking about our trip...about going. How we left, physically packed up and went to do God's work. But then we returned. I don't want to return the same. In my thinking about 'going', I read Jon's blog on the word 'go'. I recommend the read. You can find it here:

http://jonknapp02.blogspot.com/2005/08/go-matt-10.html

The Last Week

Here I am. The last week of my job at Costco. I've spent the last 7 1/2 years of my life - well, at least 5 days a week - clocking in and helping people. Helping people find a new TV or computer, helping them look at jewelry (one time even interlocking hands with a gal so she could feel how her new fiance's ring would feel :) ), helping people find their lost film, and stocking out my department.

So what's next? Well, I've been an intern at my Church for 3 years now, spending 15 hours a week assisting the youth pastor with the youth group...leading worship, teaching lessons, creating retreat ideas. But as his job has grown, his family too, there aren't enough hours in the week for him to fulfill his responsibilities.

But that's kind of nice, because I've been hired as a part time (25 hours/week) 'Student Ministries Assistant', doing the same things and more with a little bit of money. I know that I'm not making as much as I did at Costco, so it will be a bit of an adjustment for our new budget. I'm sure I'll learn, and I trust that God will provide.

It's both with both sadness and joy that I leave Costco and move on. Those of you who read this can keep me in your prayers that I would work with all my heart at Church.

Thanks, Aaron

My Grandpa's Life Tribute Video

As you've read in my previous post, my Grandpa passed away recently. He was an amazing man who loved God with his life, and loved his wife, family, and neighbors.

My Uncle Dave created an amazing video of his life as a Tribute to my Grandpa. If you would like to watch it and see what his life was about, you can view it on my Uncle's Blog. It is under - Watch My Tribute Video.

Aaron

Learning from my Grandpa

I returned yesterday from a trip to Sunnyvale, CA. We spent the weekend just being together as a family around the time of my Grandpa's memorial celebration. (A graduation service if you will)

I learned many things this weekend. Some of which I learned from the book, Blue Like Jazz, of which I have a link on the right side of this page...I will write about those later.

One thing though that I learned - finally - from my Grandpa was one of his favorite verses: Colossians 3:23:

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord..."

I think that I have been living a version of this verse. "Whatever you do, work at it with half of your heart, as working for yourself."

When it comes to school, work, church, family, and life, I don't give it my all. I don't do it all for God. Yet He deserves it all. My selfishness gets in the way and I get lazy or rely on my own strength. I'm done with this. I spent time praying on the car ride home that this would end. That the life that I live for myself would be done, and that I would live my life fully for God, in every area.

I know that I'm not alone in this position. I know that I need community to help me through. This is another growth area for me, and one which I'll write about soon.

Thanks for listening.

Aaron

My Wife!

Okay, So finally I get to post my Wife. She is, after all, a pretty big part of my life. ;) She doesn't like this picture because it was so bright that she had to wear my dorky sunglasses. But she does look great in them. We've been married since May 28th of this year, and it has been the most exiting time of my life! I highly recommend it!