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Joy October 1, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Life in General, Quotes.
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Those who criticize people for having joy are usually the ones who want it but don’t know how to get it.

 

Selah…

 

A Great Place To Be September 29, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Life in General.
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Life is so much fun. I don’t know if I’ve ever enjoyed it as much as I am right now. I have everything I could ask for and more! This past weekend was awesome. Pastor Larry Stockstill was our guest speaker and he preached a great word. I really love them southern Pastors! ‘Beyond the Butte’ turned out to be a great day too. Matter of fact, I’ll take it as far as saying it was one of the best days I’ve had since moving to Portland.

Yes my friend, it was that good!

September is coming to an end and October is patiently waiting to bring me thirty one days of pure craziness. With a trip to California and New York in store, it’s going to be a great month. 

I’m not sure what happened, but the way I experienced God’s presence two weeks ago at Chapel has seriously done something to me. There’s so much peace and it’s definitely the kind of peace that surpasses my understanding. Life is so much fun when you do it God’s way. It really is. The grace of God and the power of the cross are two things that are unfathomable to me, but I’m so thankful for the both of them. Alright, I’m being distracted because the sun is out and all I can think about is playing ultimate frisbee. I’m addicted to the sport! Pray for deliverance…

Till next time…

Spelunking in Washington September 9, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Life in General, PBC, Photos.
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The PBC Gang

I recently went caving with a few friends from school. As always, it was great! All is well in the Northwest but I’ve definitely been busy. Let’s just say I have a lot of homework! 

Here are some pics from the trip…

(more…)

Next Chapter… August 29, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Evangelism, Life in General, PBC, Spiritual Growth.
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It goes without saying that God is so good! One year ago I was going through one of the most difficult times in my life but by the grace of God here I am, still standing strong and moving forward in life. I just got back from my school’s kick-off retreat and it was so much fun. In a lot of ways, it was officially the end of summer for me. Ever since I moved back to Antioch for the summer it’s felt like a dream, and between being in Portland and Las Vegas during the last three weeks, it still felt like a vacation. Is life really supposed to be this good? I’ve been on this journey since the summer started. The Holy Spirit has strategically allowed me to experience the presence of God like never before. From the very first sermon I heard, to this past week at our retreat, the Lord has been leading me on an amazing ride.

Character  

It started with my character. Who I am is more important than what I do. If my life isn’t backing up what I stand for then that’s a problem.

The Presence of God

I can do nothing apart from God. The more I try to, the more frustrated I’ll become. I must rely on the Lord to lead me in life and I can never substitute my ‘God time’ with anything else, I have to be disciplined with my devotional life. I recently had the privilege of meeting Bill Hybels and I’ll never forget what he told me. He said, “Whatever it is you do that brings you to the presence of God, keep practicing those things and never stop doing them. Fads and trends will come and go but the presence of God will never change. It’s the presence of God that will lead you through life. 

Application

The only way I’ll see fruit in my life is to actually apply everything I’m learning. For me personally, evangelism is what’s on my heart the most. I want to see people the way God does. I want my heart to break for those who don’t know the Lord.

I’m excited for what’s in store this semester. I’m really looking forward to this next year and I know that it will only get better from here on out. It’s such a great feeling to know you’re right in the middle of the Lord’s will for your life.

This is the end of another chapter in my life.

Viva Las Vegas! August 17, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Life in General, My Travels, PBC.
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I’m in Las Vegas right now along with the rest of my family for a little vacation. I feel bad because I’m gonna miss the first three days of school, but I’m sure I’ll get over it. We just got done walking through the city and a few casinos. All I gotta say is that I now understand why this place is called sin city…

Till next time…

Car Trouble August 5, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Antioch, Life in General, My Travels, PBC.
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My car won’t start! I have no idea what’s wrong with it and I won’t know anything until Thursday. I’m hoping it’s nothing serious because I need to drive back to Portland on Saturday. If it’s not fixed by then, well, my drive back to the Northwest will be postponed. I swear, every time I come home something has happened to it within a few days of me leaving Antioch. No fun…

12 Days… July 29, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Antioch, Life in General, My Travels, PBC.
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I’m down to my last twelve days in Antioch until I head back to Portland, OR. To be honest, it’s gonna be really hard to leave again, but I’m also very grateful I had the chance to come home for the summer. Between helping out in the office and spending time with friends and family, my schedule is pretty much booked until the day I leave. Let the countdown begin…

Waiting and Dating July 10, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Books, Dating, Life in General, Spiritual Growth.
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I recently finished a book entitled Waiting and Dating: A Sensible Guide to a Fulfilling Love Relationship by Dr. Myles Munroe. In my opinion, it’s one of the best books on dating I’ve read by far! With that being said, I’m in the mood to write about the wonderful topic of romantic relationships. Oh yes, the ‘R’ word! I’ll have it up soon…

Back in Antioch July 1, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Antioch, Life in General, My Travels, PBC.
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I know I said I would post an update last night but I ended up falling asleep. Sorry! This past week has been so much fun but I’m officially tired of traveling! I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to travel to Idaho this past weekend. I’m learning that every ministry trip has its own uniqueness. When I get the chance to experience the presence of God in other churches, it’s a reminder of how we’re all a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Regardless of the size, style of preaching, style of worship, every church has its own style, but the Lord’s definitely moving across the world through His people. Another thing, and this is geared towards any PBC student that comes across this post. We truly have no idea how blessed we are to be students at PBC. There are people all over the world that would give anything to learn from the people we sit under in the classroom! We are tremendously blessed to be bible college students at PBC. My flight landed in Oakland this morning and now I’m back in the offices for work. I’m assuming the next couple of weeks will be busy as we prepare for summer camp but it’s gonna be great. To everyone I saw on campus, it was great seeing you! I can’t wait for next semester.  

The Beauty of Relationships April 26, 2008

Posted by Joseph Garibay in Life in General.
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Relationships put a lot on the table. If handled correctly, it’ll be a wonderful experience. If abused or handled incorrectly, our hearts will experience pain that none of us want to go through. Regardless of the situation, I truly believe the outcome of both can end as a beautiful story.

The desire we have to be loved comes from Christ. We were made in His image. He knows everything we need and His love for us will never come up short in meeting our needs. The only problem is, it’s very easy for us to spend more time with that ’special somebody’ than it is with the Lord. Unfortunately, it happens quite often. I’m no expert in this, but when two people go their separate ways, you can tell how much of their relationship was being led by Christ and how much of it was being led by their emotions. 

A person’s true character will be revealed in the aftermath of the relationship, when everything they desired is no longer there. If their character changes, then obviously something was out of line. If it doesn’t, then everything was handeled wisey. So what out of line? Their relationship with Christ.

Desperate people will make desperate decisions. The only thing we should be desperate for is Christ. We are made complete in Him. He will give us the freedom to try and love somebody more than Him, but we won’t get the happily ever after ending that we want. Why will He give us the freedom to try it? Because He’ll let us make a mistake to realize that He will never let us love anybody more than Him.

When a relationships is handled correctly, it can be an amazing experience! Even if it doesn’t work out in the end, both people are still blessed and go their own way with nothing but respect for each other. The fruit that comes from a Christ centered relationship is amazing! The people around us are blessed, were blessed, and we inevitably find ourselves closer to Christ.  

When a relationship is handled incorrectly and doesn’t end the way we want it to, our hearts hurt. The pain comes from all of our mixed emotions in trying to figure out what went wrong. Our hearts have to be broken in order for it to be restored by the One who created it. We must realize this! If we don’t, we will make life very difficult when it doesn’t need to be that way. When the person we long to be with is no longer around or no longer wants to be with us, it hurts, a lot! I believe Christ feels the same pain when we choose to spend more time with that special somebody rather then putting Him first. He longs to have an intimate relationship with us. He longs for us to spend time with Him.

I believe being single is great! It’s one of the most beautiful gifts I have. The rest of my life is being shaped during this season. My devotional life, my finances, my attitudes, my education, and the list goes on! I so deeply cherish my relationship with Christ. I have everything I need.  

That’s the beauty of relationships. Either way, we eventually end up closer to the One that matters most.