Sorry it has been a few days. I didn't have a computer for the time being. Today I went out to lunch with my friend Alex White, who I would like to say is a cool, cool kid and has grown a lot since I've seen him last. But all besides the point; one of the big things that we talked about was encouragment, and how it is the things that you notice and encourage in a person, that become more and more a thing that they work on and focus on. Example, you admire how a person reads his Bible daily, and important part, you encourage this person how they have impacted or impressed you by their ability to read daily. That person is more likely to focus on learning how to read daily or to learn more from his daily reading because of that encouragment. Or I think how showing up to church, is something that I look forward to because the people I see there show how much they appreciate my presence there. The people I see at church encourage my attendance to church by noticing me enjoying my company. And, I suppose it would be just as true that if we were to encourage bad habits, it would still be the focus of a person and they would pursue that type of action for the attention. A person who tells questionable jokes, (I'll let you decide what questionable is), but everytime you laugh at the persons jokes that are of this nature, you encourage that behavior. So I just wanted to encourage everyone who reads my, oh so enjoyable blog (lol), to encourage people, to encourge you friends, and your fellow Christians, to be in active pursuit of GOD, to focus on His will, to read the Bible daily, to constantly pray to Him, and love on others, constantly encouraging everyone around you.
"I can live on a compliment for two months." Mark Twain
"But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13

So I find it ironic, the other day I talked about the timing and its perfection. And here that perfection may be having me leave for Italy a little later than originally planned. I was going to be leaving Colorado this coming Thursday, the 7th; but mine, along with the rest of my teams visas have not come through yet, which leaves us here for the time being. And I must say, even though I still believe the timing is perfect in every situation, and trust GOD that everything works out to His glory,which is what I want, I am still feeling the slightest bummed feeling. Maybe it is because it has not all gone according to my plan that I feel this way. Either way, I trust GOD does have His reasons, (even though I do not understand what they are quite yet); I am excited to find out how things well work, and how GOD will use this situation. Because I know despite all of these minor problems, here in a little while we will be in Italy, teaching GOD's good news; and I look forward to that. (But if you wouldn't mind saying a prayer right now for everything working out, my team and I would be grateful).

The Timing

This morning as I finish sending out letters and try and organize all my belongings for leaving to Italy in a week; I just can't help but think of timing and how it's perfect. It's like GOD has a plan or something. :-) I had had this conversation with a friend a number of weeks back, (before I had a blog :-), but it has been this thought that has been getting me through all these rough goodbyes, combined, with feeling like I'm just starting to get to know someone, or get a feel for something that is awesome. But looking back, and to an extent even forward, it is comforting to knowing that the timing is perfect. That GOD has a plan, and when we walk, talk. .yadda yadda, according to that plan of GOD; things will work out, for the better (1 Cor. 8:28). And, although we may not enjoy or like the direction life always takes us; I think it comforting to know that when our desire is in line with GOD's, not only will we be more accepting of the timing, realizing its perfection, but also find how all of it is exactly what we need to be pushed to learn and grow as a mature servant of GOD. And I thank GOD for that.