I was able to help serve the leaders of our church for the leader appreciation dinner picnic Monday night, which was awesome to be able to serve the people that help the Church run every sunday. Also just had a great example of being a servant Leader from what the elders/pastors of our church did for the leaders for the picnic. In cooking everything for them and setting up everything so that these leaders could be appreciated and understand how much they mean.
Wednesday was a fellowship/fun day with a couple friends of mine and we were able to go to the Cubs game. And yes if you do not already know that was the game with a walk off 2 run home run. Needless to say it was awesome! Me and my friends on the car ride down and while walking around the city were able to converse about futures and what we have a passion for. For me being in Chicago erupts so many ideas in my head and so much passion for the possible future. I was able to voice my interest in living in Chicago not only in the mind set that I think it is the best City in the world :) but also able to show my love for the urban ministry aspect. When I get done with school I am absolutely content in wherever Christ has me going, right now I do not know what that is for sure but I sure feel a big tug to urban ministry. I see how God works in my life the past 3 years at ISU in the dorms. A gift he has definitely bestowed upon me is the gift of being relational with people and creating friends really easily. God has used this gift in me through the years and really blessing me with the ability to create a bible study on my floor my sophomore year for any guys that just wanted to read the bible and were interested. I was able to get about half the guys on my floor to attend and as far as I know they loved the opportunity to read the bible and have some people explain it to them when it seems to be hard to understand.
Seeing God work through me in this way has gotten me so pumped for continual close interaction with guys this next year when I am being an RA. This is the person who is the "head" of the floor for the students and in my eyes the example and possible mentor for guys on the floor. This translates for my want to live in the city because after school I still would want to use the gifts God has given me to the fullest extent. Meaning I want to be in an area of close quarters where there are a lot of people and very close around me. Whether it be the idea of an apartment or row house or whatever I would be able to create plenty relationship with people living right next to me and hopefully be able to pour in their lives and reveal to them the reason why I live and what I live for.
So! The day in Chicago was a great day this week!
The end of the week was mixed with things. I was able to meet new people which I always love. On friday I met up again with my Pastor, Jon. Just before meeting with him at a coffee place near by I ran into 2 friends of mine who are newlyweds! I had not seen them in some time and it was great to be able to catch up with them quickly and see how God was working through them the past year and also to see the evidence of God working through their relationship.
My meeting with Jon was great. We talked about the book that I had just received in the mail and being excited about that. I was also able to really pour out to Jon about convictions and areas of repentance that needed to occur in my life in certain areas. He was able to talk with me and make me realize the Gospel even more through the convictions I have, and through this praise God even more for revealing those sins in my life and not letting them continue on and on.
That same day I met up with another elder from church in regards to the "Charis Kids" program at church. We were able to get to know each other on a more personal basis and converse about the coming up Sunday and the routines they go through in leading the class labeled "Big Kids 2". These kids are around the ages of 8, and when it came to help lead them Sunday it was a great time. Being able to see how younger kids respond when the Gospel is presented to them in the correct way and also in a way brought down to their level was so cool.
Sunday was another great day as always. I setup for Charis again and was able to help with the kids as I previously mentioned. Then was able to help clean up too. Sunday night I attended Fuel, which is a college ministry here in Bloomington/Normal and was able to see a friend of mine preach!!! I had not seen him in a while and heard he had recently become the associate pastor of this ministry so I jumped on the opportunity to see him speak. I was able to catch up with him afterward and talk about him being a newlywed too (Everyones getting hitched now haha)! I was able talk to him about how Christ has been working in my life and he was able to share the same. It was awesome edifying conversation and also just another glimpse of God's crazy work he can do if our faith is fully in him and not in other things that can perish.
I praise God every week for the blessings that he shows me even though I do not deserve the slightest. This week the highlight had to of been seeing my friend up there preaching. Praise God for the miraculous work he can do, it is just unbelievable.
Thanks for reading guys! See ya in a week!
P.S. I was able to attend a black barber shop on Friday too, lets just say ... legendary (thank you for my buddy Isaiah for taking me there)
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