July 11, 2008

CSBY, Family and Elijah

I am now in Ridgecrest, NC at the LifeWay Conference Center.  I will be speaking at the Cambodian Southern Baptist conference to the youth and young adults.  I enjoyed a nice 8.5 hours traveling in a van yesterday with Keo and his parents.  I am still operating on West Coast time, so my sleeping and eating habits are off just a bit.  

God has given me some messages to speak this weekend that I am very excited about.  As I was talking with Keo last night and seeing what videos were planned, we realized that what God laid on his heart, is the same that I have on mine.  It is so cool when that happens.  Go figure, God knows what he is doing.  

It is always hard to leave my family.  I had to leave them in Oregon as I flew into Columbus this past Wednesday.  I am never prepared for the emotions that come up when I leave.  Michael had just woken up and wanted me to keep holding him.  That was very special for me.  

I am still walking through the possibility of a full time youth ministry position.  The senior pastor and I have been playing phone tag.  The biggest thing that I want to check out is if they are looking for someone with the gifts and talents that God has given me and able to accept and compensate for the lack of gifts in other areas.  I have not met a complete person that has it all.  I have met some that are really good though.  I believe that if we can operate in our strengths and let others do the same, we will be a complete church, but not if we are expecting one person to do it all. 

God has been good to me.  I was reading the story of Elijah, which is one of my favorite people in the Bible.  In 1 Kings 19,  he came to God out of desperation and looking for guidance, he mentioned that he has given everything that he is to serve God.  That is my  only request of myself.  That I give everything that I can, that I follow where ever he asks.  Then, and only then, can I be happy with who I am and where I am.

1 comment:

Ty said...

So seriously I am going to stop reading now! I do have a question that your experience may help me in. What if you want to follow His direction but you are struggling to decipher what that direction is? Then what?