Tuesday, July 19, 2011

My Reading List

As many of you know one of my goals this summer is to read 50 pages a day everyday.  Although I have not exactly kept up with the goal to a T it has been great to go through my once unknown library of books and read through much of it.  Right now I have about 30 books that are still unread in my library and I look to finish all of these books by the end of the year.  Lofty goal, but I feel if I stay dedicated I can do it.  Here are some of the books I have read since my internship began 7 weeks ago: 


Love Wins - Rob Bell 
Poems - Emily Dickinson 
Jesus for President - Shane Claiborne 
Communicating for a Change - Andy Stanley 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling 
A Grief Observed - C.S. Lewis 
The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis 
The Abolition of Man - C.S. Lewis 


Each of these books have given me different nuggets of knowledge and truth that I have begun to try to include in my daily life, scripture reading, and sermons on a regular basis. 


I was given the privilege to purchase the Signature Classics by C.S. Lewis which includes the much heralded Mere Christianity.  But as well as this Christian Masterpiece, it includes eight other books that I have been dying to jump into:  Screwtape Letters (read), Grief Observed (read), Abolition of Man (read), Great Divorce (read), Problem of Pain, Weight of Glory, Miracles, and George MacDonald.  All of these books give the reader a deeper insight into the thoughts of C.S. Lewis not only as a writer, but as a person.  Int he book Grief Observed, Lewis tackles his feelings about his recently deceased wife.  You can just feel in the words that he is unable to handle this tragedy and is uncertain how or why a God who loves him would do something like this.  This truth just simply bleeds through his writings and you can truly feel the emotions he is feeling.  Each of the Signature Classics have this feeling of emotion and power to them unlike any other writer I have come across.  


That being said, I have committed to reading all nine of his Classics in hopes that after reading them I will have gained a new insight into the God that he and I both serve.  


If you may hear anything in this post hear this, Lewis' writings will give you a new and profound look at the God you serve and will open your eyes to an entirely new being you otherwise did not know existed.  His passion, emotion, and dedication for the living God is unparalleled and these same feelings will surely be a product of your reading these Classics.  


Till Another Day, 


Alec

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Pain ...

So there I was excited about the final softball game of the year and it hits me, running to first base, over stepping the bag and falling slamming my head, back, and left arm on the ground.  Thinking i was okay just lying there for awhile, realized the rest of the night that my arm was hurt pretty bad.  Playing through the rest of the game, the pain intensified.  Got home and I realized that it is worse.  My beautiful fiance and I went to the St. Francis Hospital in Southport, IN.  After a couple hours of testing, x-rays, and waiting we received the verdict that it was no fractures, but severe bruising and swelling of the tissue in my elbow.  After a day of rest and pain, I realized that the pain is still pretty bad.

So what this means is nothing, but what I have realized is the unconditional love that comes from it.  My fiance Jenny spent the night at the hospital with me as well as got me donuts from Long's Bakery this morning, iced my elbow, and watched golf with me as I was still in pain.  Now this is not just about someone doing nice things for me, but the unconditional love that comes from this.  Jenny loves me so much that she would not have thought any different about it.  He first instinct was to help me and it was so because she loves me.

This love she has for me is not just for the feelings that may come from it, but her love for me is about sacrifice and action.  In order for me to really understand her love I have to see it through her actions.  And she proves it to me everyday that she is truly in love with me.  My fiance is the most wonderful and sacrificial human being in the world.

This love makes the waiting 7 months to get married harder than ever.  Everyday I get more and more excited to be with her.  She is the one and I am awaiting the moment I can show her my unconditional love for her someday.  I am waiting...


Till another Day

normallyINDIE

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Networking & Things of other Nature

Jenny and I had the opportunity to take the week and head to the North American Christian Convention on Tuesday - Thursday of last week.  Those of you who don't know what this is, it is a Christian Convention of churches, mission organizations, bible colleges, publishing companies and everything in between.  For most this convention is an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, pray, and learn alongside those who are also involved in the ministry.  For me all of this took place, but in a another way "networking" was at the center of the convention for me.

Normally this is not something that I enjoy doing, I tend to spend much of my time listening and learning rather than trying to make contacts with people.  But this year was different, for I am searching for a job in the future and I am truly seeking to make some contacts in the Christian Church realm.  With this being said, I spent much of Tuesday walking around the convention center, seeking out opportunities to mingle and meet people of influence in the fields I am seeking to move into in the future.

One such group I was able to speak with just by chance was One Mission Society of Greenwood, IN.  Much of the conversation with Garrath who works at OMS I had no idea that they were stationed in Greenwood, IN.  But when I found that this group was located in Greenwood, it peaked my interest.  My fiance and I have set a meeting with this group in order to speak about any job opportunities they may have available in the future.  A group opportunity for me to seek out employment with a God centered group.

But what I find most interesting about this whole situation and my continued job search as a whole is the role that God is playing in the whole situation.  As I was walking around the entire convention, the one booth I happened to stop at was a society that is within 5 miles of were I currently work and is also seeking out employment of someone like me.  I do not think it was a coincidence that I happened to stop at this booth, but it was God who was leading me to the place I was called to go.  God continues to do so throughout the process of choosing a job as well.  I have continued to ask for trust in God and he is giving me opportunities to do so and I truly believe that God will continue to provide for me and my fiance.

When it comes to "networking" I am not necessarily a fan, but when it comes to "networking" God has become the center of my contacts and trusting in him is at the center of all that I am.

For another day,

Alec