New Years looks like…

Playing with weapons…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goofing around in a SWEET lake-house…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drinking soda for the first time in a year…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually shooting the weapons in the forest…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having a blast with people you really care about…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…so yeah, it was fun. Happy New Year!  

- Joe

Home for the Holidays?

So it turns out that my flight to Sacramento has been cancelled. Dang. The weather hasn’t gotten any better since yesterday and at this point, there’s absolutely nothing I can do about it. I’m currently on hold with PDX trying to find out what my chances are to get home for Christmas. 

Till next time…

Snow & Cookies & Chipmunks

The city of Portland is currently getting owned by this storm right now and I’m loving it! So, because all of us PBCers are pretty much stuck on the Butte and CBC cancelled all of their weekend services, we decided to group up in the lounge like a bunch of squirrels trying to survive the winter. So what does a night like this look like? I’m so glad you asked! It would look something like this:

Current Time: 8:19 pm

Current Place: PBC Lounge

Current Movie: Alvin & The Chipmunks (possibly another one to follow)

Current Amount of People Involved: 6

Current Meal: A delicious oven baked DiGiorno 4 cheese pizza. However, I can believe it’s not delivery, because it’s not!

Current Desert: Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies! (Thanks Tori)

Feeling like he’s arrived as a “real man” because he’s surviving this snow storm, 

- Joe

A White Portland & Great Friends

 

Hanging out by a white Waterfront

Yes, it’s true! It snowed yesterday in Portland and I loved it! CBC ended up canceling their second service, so a small group of us took advantage of the day and headed downtown to enjoy the snow.

Speaking of friends, something hit me recently. It’s as if I received a new revelation of how important they are. What I’m about to say is risky, and I know it, but I’m gonna go for it anyway. I’m at a point in my life where I’m realizing that all of my close friendships mean something, and because of the genuineness that lies in the foundation of each one, I truly believe the small group of people I spend most of my time with will be in my life until the day I die. A while back I was challenged with this concept when I saw one of my Pastors lean over to another Pastor during worship, laugh for a little bit, and then continue on with what they were doing. Then it hit me that those guys have shared more than thirty years of their lives together. It was proof that it’s possible to build lasting relationships with the people God has placed around us.

I’ve recently challenged myself to not judge any of my friends when they make a mistake, but instead cherish those moments because I have a front row seat to watch God not only do a work in my life, but in theirs as well. I can cherish those moments because wherever they end up twenty years from now, most of the people around them will only have the privilege of seeing who they became, not what it took for them to become that. I think of guys like David, who serves the church with all of his heart, and I wonder where the hand of God will take him after PBC. Wherever that is, I’ll always be able to look back to our traditional Friday night Safeway runs and know that our lives were shaped on the same training ground. I’ll always be able to look back and know that when I drove back to campus, I knew he was there because he was the only student to park their car backwards, because according to him, “the way you leave is more important than the way you park.” I think of guys like Scotty, who constantly challenges me to keep God in the center of everything I do, and I wonder what our first trip to Scotland will be like. I have no doubt that he’ll find himself right in the middle of what God’s called him to do and I can’t wait to walk into the ministry the Lord entrusts him with, take a look at him, and remember how we met once a week to talk about life, read through books together, and spent time praying for each other. I also think about guys like Matt, who always provokes me to see things from a balanced perspective. I see his heart for kid’s ministry, and to serve the homeless, and I’m excited to see where he’ll end up. Wherever that may be, I know that if I need a quick laugh, I’ll always be able to hop onto YouTube and watch an episode of the Matt and Joe show, or think about our time as roommates when we lived in the Dorm 3 quad. What about me? Where am I gonna end up? What will they say about me twenty years from now? What mistakes will they be able to look at during the preparation season of my life only to see how that shaped the final result?

When those closest to us make a mistake and we judge them, could it be possible that we’re actually missing the beauty of God’s work in their life? I realize that I’m not perfect, and nobody I know is, but I’m in a season where I get to watch a lot of people who are passionate for God go through life thinking they know what they’re doing, make a lot of mistakes, only to be picked up by the grace of God and start over. It’s the principle of seeing people for who they’ll become. All of our closest friends should be able to look past our mistakes and focus on who we’re becoming more than who we currently are. Thirty years from now, wherever I end up, I’ll always have the privilege of knowing that not only will I get to see who my friends become, I’ll also know how they got there, and to me, that’s priceless.

Now that I’m done thinking, here are some of our kodak moments from yesterday…

Homework, Bible Studies, & Tomatoes

I’m sitting in a coffee shop right now. I’ve finished one of two assignments, so yes, this is me procrastinating. There’s a group of ladies sitting off to the right of me and it’s very evident they’re having a bible study of some sort. From the scriptures I heard being read, I’m almost positive they’re going through the book of Ephesians. (you would think a bible college student would know this kind of stuff)  Anyway, I just really enjoyed listening to this woman read the Bible. She could barely read the words on the page and based off the questions she asked her friends, she probably knows very little about what she just read. Despite all of that, it was very evident she’s hungry for more and passionate about the Lord. 

Isn’t that cool? The same God that placed the stars in the sky is right here in this little coffee shop located in Portland, OR meeting the needs of a lady who’s probably had questions all her life. I love how our circumstances never determine how we experience the presence of the Lord. All we need is an open heart. If we have that, He’ll take care of the rest.

Think of it.   

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! I just ate a sandwich that had a tomato in it for the first time in my life! I used to think these little red round things were straight from the devil, now I’m a huge fan!

Beyond the Butte

It’s 12:44 in the morning and I have no idea why I’m still awake. In a matter of hours, the PBC student body will be getting together for a day of outreach. (Beyond the Butte) I signed up for street evangelism and I’m pretty excited about it. To be completely honest, I have no idea what the plan is, but we’re definitely gonna hit the streets of Portland with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It’s gonna be great. Till next time…

Friendship

  I’m so thankful for the friendships I have. I truly can’t imagine what my life would be like without them. What a blessing! This post however, is just to brag on a buddy of mine. I honestly can’t remember how long it’s been since I first met Scotty while working at Safeway, but my friendship with him has seriously taken my life to another level. Today was the start of a new semester for the both of us. We’ve both blocked out a couple of hours every Friday so that we can spend some time together and catch up. Not only do we catch up, we’re also reading through a book together. You’d be surprised how close two people can get just by reading a book together and then sharing how each chapter impacted your life. It’s just great to walk through life with somebody by your side. Every one of us needs a close friend. Somebody who knows you from the inside out. Accountability is so critical in today’s society. Finding a friend like this isn’t always easy, it’s takes time, but it’s completely worth it. Don’t go through life alone. Find someone you can trust and open up your life to that person. You’ll get what you put into it and if you make it a priority, you’ll find time for them. Life is so much fun when you can enjoy it with those around you. 

One more thing…

Everyone needs to…

1.  Go to the iTunes Store
2. Search for Andy Stanley
3. Download the LO$T Series

Why? Because it’s THAT good…

Till next time…

Hebrews 10:25 – - Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching

Down to 48 Hours

I have less than 48 hrs before I hop into my car and drive home. I still have a lot to do too! My room is almost packed up and I’m cleaning it as I go. As of right now, Scotty and I are planning to wake up really early on Friday and drive straight down the coast all the way to San Francisco, possibly spend some time in the city, and then head back to Antioch. Honestly, it still hasn’t hit me that I’m going home for three months, and I honestly don’t think it will for another two. It should be fun…

DREAM IT.08

I just purchased my ticket for DREAM IT.08  which will be in Sacramento, CA this summer. Some of the key note speakers will be Ed Young, Bill Hybels, and Erwin McManus. Some of the musical guests that’ll be there are Delirious? along with my personal favorite, Israel & New Breed! It’s gonna be awesome!

Everything’s been great up here. I wish the sun would come out more! Matt and Joe Episode 5 seemed to be a big hit! A big thanks goes out to everyone who watched it. Whow knows? Maybe we’ll make another one soon. I need to take care of a few things before I go to work so I’ll catch you later. Peace! 

   

Appreciating The Small Things

I took my car into the shop earlier today and originally I had planned to have one of my friends come and pick me up when I was done. It was so nice outside that I just decided to walk myself back to campus. Besides, I haven’t taken a nice walk in a very long time. So off I went. I was instantly captivated by the brown and orange leaves scrambled across the sidewalks. Every few minutes, the cool breeze would brush across my face and the blue sky made everything that much more beautiful. As I continued to walk, I started to realize how many things we take for granted…